My phone vibrated
Unknown number
Next time, it won't be glass alone.
I rushed to the surveillance cameras.
" How's this possible?" My mouth fell open.
The time frame had been deleted from the footage.
They knew I'd be alone.
Knew which glass to break.
And certainly knew how to cover their tracks.
The stone still lay on the kitchen floor, jagged glass shattered around it like a warning.
Julie stared at it.
" Did you call the Police?"
" Julie, I couldn't have" I paused
" You were threatened Eliza"
" No, I was given a message"
" We're going to the police now"
" Going to the police won't solve anything"
"Eliza"
" The Stone family will only be affected by a further scandal"
" You're not safe here anymore" Julie sat beside me
" Do you think Nia would do this?"
" Julie stop" I held her hand "She wouldn't dare"
" Eliza, open your eyes. Nia is capable of doing that and more"
" She wouldn't do this" I responded
" She stole your fiance, flaunt him around and also tried to defame you. Trust me she can definitely hire goons to…"
" Julie, I won't move without proof. This is Eliza's playground, if they wanna play, they should come at me, I won't lose to them"
***
I923 Bar
The music swelled loudly.
The dancefloor filled with swaying bodies dancing to the rhythm.
" Two glasses of martini please" I ordered
" Eliza, everything will be fine"
"Please a refill "
The bar tender poured another drink and in a single gulp I emptied my glass.
"Eliza Stone was suddenly not good enough"
" Eliza, Demian is blind" Julie said trying to comfort me.
There was a time when boardrooms paused for me.
When CEOs stood the moment I entered.
When investors cleared their entire schedules for fifteen minutes of my attention.
I used to watch men twice my age wait for my approval.
Now I was begging for a man who didn't deserve my loyalty.
Julie, he said I had no background, the irony" A small chuckle escaped from my lips, even as my tears threatened to crash down on me.
" He forgot, I was legacy"
"Eliza, we will get back to the top, I promise"
Julie gently rubbed my hands.
" Please,wait here. Don't go anywhere. I have to call the Director of Sun magazine okay"
I nodded my head and waved my hand asking her to go. Julie looked at the bar tender as though asking him to watch over me before leaving.
I sat there gulping one glass after the other, as I remembered the first time I met Demian.
It was the after-party for Paris Fashion Week.
Crystal chandeliers. Champagne towers. Cameras still flashing even off the runway.
Demian was there as a guest.
I had come as the headline.
He saw me before I saw him.
I was surrounded by editors, designers, investors.
The creative director of Vogue was laughing at something I said. A luxury brand CEO stood patiently, waiting for me to finish speaking before daring to interrupt.
Demian adjusted his suit jacket.
He wasn't poor.
He wasn't insignificant.
But he didn't matter.
Not in this room
"You didn't look impressed," he told me later that night.
I sipped my champagne slowly.
"Impressed by what?"
"By me."
I tilted my head slightly.
"Should I be?"
It wasn't cruelty.
It was honesty.
His jaw tightened just slightly.
No one ever questioned his worth.
Except me.
His expression caught my attention.
But more than my eyes.
His innocence won my heart.
The whispers around pulled me back to reality
Isn't that Elijah Sterling?
What's Mr. Sterling doing here?
When did he return?
Heard he cancelled his wedding.
That's cause he's gay
Poor Violetta
How's the King of Sun City gay?
I turned towards the man everyone suddenly seemed to orbit around. He was strikingly handsome. But more than that, he carried the kind of presence that made powerful men step aside. He took every strides with calm precision and clarity. He didn't walk, he commanded. And everyone was the subject of his kingdom.
The bar attendant ushered him to the VIP booth. I watched him, his gaze fixed on his phone even as he followed.
When he took his seat
He didn't lift his head
Not once to see who spoke
He didn't have to
He didn't need to
Yet the attendant stood there
Patiently waiting for his gaze
His approval.
"Who's he?" I asked the bar tender
" That's the Sterling family heir. Don't bother going over. He's a snob and very arrogant"
I rolled my eyes at him.
People who are at the bottom are always quick to call others names. I thought
The VIP booth was dimly lit and isolated from the chaos of the club.
"Eliza Stone"
His gaze didn't shift
And suddenly I remembered what it felt like being the one people waited for.
I slid into the seat opposite him not waiting to be invited.
" Bold" he murmured,eyes still locked on his phone.
" I prefer efficient"
The music thundered loudly in the background. But inside the booth, the air felt thin and stiff.
" I need power" I said calmly
He didn't lift his head
" Contentment is a virtue" His voice carried judgement.
" Only if you're on top. There's nothing wrong with wanting it all . If I have the power to take it, it's mine by right"
I knew I wasn't asking,
I was negotiating
A grin escaped his lips.
It was brief, but I saw it.
He placed his phone face down.
Slowly
He looked at me.
His gaze sharp and assessing.
Now I understand why people whispered when he walked in.
" You would cheat others to win"
" There was no such thing as ultimate fairness, I want leverage"
" Over?"
" Someone who mistook loyalty for weakness"
" You want revenge"
" Revenge no, balance yes" I corrected smoothly
He leaned back , studying me.
" You're trending for all the wrong reasons"
" Yet, you listen"
He wasn't intimidated
He wasn't impressed
But he wasn't dismissing me either.
" Who's that Lady?"
" That's Eliza Stone"
" She must be trying to climb his bed"
" Mr. Sterling will kick her out"
" Desperate women indeed"
The whispers grew louder.
" You're not good enough to be my toy." His tone was dismissive.
" I wasn't looking at being your toy".
" I don't involve myself in scandals" he said
" Then don't" I replied calmly " involve yourself in opportunity"
" Explain"
" I can rebuild faster than anyone expects. When I rise again, the man beside me rises higher"
" You think i need rising"
" No" I said softly " but you recognize valuable alliances"
" You're either desperate" he said " or dangerous"
" If the outcome benefits you, then it doesn't matter"
A soft chuckle escaped from him.
" What are you offering Eliza Stone?"
I leaned closer
" My name, my influence. And a partnership that turns today's scandal to tomorrow's headlin
e"
He didn't blink
" In exchange for?
" Power"
His finger tapped gently against the table
" Power isn't given, it's taken"
" Then consider this an invitation to take it with me"
He smiled
Not warmly
Predatorily
" Then"
" Marry me"