A smug smile appeared on Adrian's lips as he pulled away from a breathless Elena, the redness in her cheeks spreading quickly across her neck.
"Shall we?" He whispered as the guards threw the doors of his limo open.
Elena let out a deep quiet breath to calm her pounding heart as Adrian pulled her along into the car.
"Take me out of here." He ordered and let go of Elena's hand, the smile on his face disappearing quickly.
The car shot into the bustling road, the chaos of desperate press and paparazzi shrinking behind them.
Elena tucked in her lower lip as her shaking hands tugged at the hem of her dress,
She needed an explanation, but how was she supposed to ask? The man beside her was Adrian Power. She had studied enough about him to know he could end her whole world with just the snap of his fingers.
"Are you headed anywhere else, sir?" Marcus asked.
Adrian hummed out a no, shutting his eyes and totally ignoring the woman beside him.
Elena's heartbeat spiralled out of control as the journey continued in silence, was anybody ever going to tell her anything?
"I… I have absolutely no idea what is going on, but I… I think I just need to leave." She spoke.
"Ma'am, if you'll wait, I'll explain…."
"I don't need no explanation, I just want to go home." Elena cut in breathlessly, darting her anxious eyes to the man beside her who cared nothing for what she was saying.
"Ma'am, I need you to…."
"Please let me out." She whined, her breath becoming more unstable as serious panic clawed at her throat.
"Ma'am…"
"Let her out." Adrian growled.
"Sir…"
"Do not make me repeat myself." He ordered.
The car screeched to a halt and Marcus quickly alighted, striding over and pulling the door open for Elena.
She stepped out without hesitation. Marcus bowed slightly and scurried back inside, the engine roaring to life as he sped off, leaving Elena watching, on the verge of tears.
"It's all over now, calm down Elena…. Calm down." She assured herself and took a deep breath, sniffing away her tears and flagging down a taxi.
"Where to, ma'am?
"1528 south soto street, apartment 3c."
"Boyle Heights?"
"Yeah…. that's right."
"Are you okay ma'am?" The driver asked as Elena stepped inside, more tears cascading down her face.
"Sure…. I'm okay." She lied and forced a smile, the driver beginning the ride with a shrug.
Elena darted her teary eyes to the busy world outside, at this point she cared nothing for the job anymore, she just wanted to return to normalcy.
The driver darted a hand to the radio, switching it on without a word to Elena.
"Word on the street is that former president Dominic's grandson, and renowned businessman, Adrian Power is finally off the market."
Elena's heart gave a painful flip.
"This morning, headlines broke about the thirty one year old's alleged wife, a revelation that debunks weeks of rumours about his supposed reconciliation with actress Meghan Carter. Sources now confirm a wedding is on the horizon, though it will be kept entirely private."
Elena sat up slowly, a jolt of realisation striking her. The kiss, the press. What wedding?
"We're here, ma'am." The driver announced.
She stepped out of the car, the world blurring around her as she stumbled into the house, ignoring the driver's call for his pay.
"Mom…. mom!" She whimpered, drifting her eyes across the quiet room, not a glimpse of her mother in sight.
"Mom, where are you?" She broke down in fear and wobbled back outside, coming face to face with Adrain Power's assistant.
"Are you finally ready to listen?"
He brushed past her and entered the house.
Elena drew in a shaky breath and forced her suddenly heavy legs to move, making her way back inside.
"Here's your explanation."
He hurled a bundle of magazines to the floor, images of Elena and Adrian glaring from the front cover.
Elena crashed to the ground with a gasp as a painful kick tore through her gut. What in the world were her eyes seeing?
"You have only two choices, ma'am: become Adrian Power's wife or vanish from the surface of earth."
An invisible hand squeezed Elena's throat, sending heavy dread sinking into her bones, stifling and unrelenting.
"You have no idea what trouble you've caused him…so either be dragged into his world or disappear, permanently."
She looked up, pouting her lower lip like she dared to beg.
"Too bad your face is everywhere…. clear as day. My boss has worked his entire life to build a reputation, and he will not allow a whore tear it all to the ground in one night."
"I am not a whore." Elena defended, her voice breaking badly.
"Then what are you? You sneaked into the gala under the guise of a journalist, but we both know you were there to seduce Adrian Power. Unfortunately for the first time, he let his guard down–look where that has gotten us."
He let out a scoff averting his eyes from Elena as she cried.
"I'm sorry…"
"He doesn't care that you're sorry. Get yourself to the car if you wish to see your mother again."
Elena's trembling fingers pressed against her lips as she cried. Her life was indeed over.
"Don't hurt my mom…"
Marcus scoffed, running his eyes around the shabby house for the first time. He cleared his throat and a man in black walked his way into the house, handing him an iPad and some documents.
"Your mom is safe, for now." He handed the phone to Elena, sending her gasping hard as her eyes landed on her mom fast asleep in an unfamiliar place.
"Just sign this and all of it will be over in maybe one year." He snatched the phone from her and threw the documents to her, alongside a pen.
Elena broke down again and he shook his head in pity. She could have been with any other man– just not Adrian Power.
"What…. what did you do?" Elena whimpered, her faltering eyes tracing from the papers before her to the images of herself in the magazines–clinging to no other person but Adrian Power as if they were a couple.
"Go ahead, sign it."
Elena darted her trembling hand to the pen, picking it up as though any more hesitation would cost her life.
"And be fast about it…" He added and made it to the door, holding it open.
Elena took a long, sweeping glance around the house, shutting her wet eyes and crafting her signature on the paper in a heartbeat.
If walking headlong into scorching fire could at least save her mother, then so be it. It was done. There was no undoing anything now–only living with the aftermath of this expensive trick her fate had decided to play on her.