Elaisa's POV

When the Bourne family went under, it was Russel Meyer who picked me up and brought me back to his place.

For ten years, he treated me like I was his princess. I had everything I wanted, and everyone knew me as the girl Russel doted on, the brightest star in New York’s high society. Life was good—until that night. The night he came home drunk, and we crossed a line we shouldn’t have.

I had been holding back my feelings for years, and that night, I told him I loved him. But instead of hearing me out, he accused me of trapping him and said I’d drugged him. He called me shameless. Then, like a punch to the gut, he announced he was marrying his first love, Ivy Brennan.

Everyone expected me to blow up and make a scene like I usually do when I don’t get my way. But I didn’t. Instead, I quietly got rid of the baby. No one knew. On his wedding day, I packed my things and left without a word.

——

The day I found out I was pregnant, I got Russel’s wedding invite in the mail. It was fancy, gold lettering and all, and it felt like it weighed a ton in my hands. I crumpled up the pregnancy test results and tossed them in the trash.

As I turned to leave, I heard her voice behind me. Light, soft, and… irritating.

“Russ, come on, don’t touch me like that. There's a kid in front.”

My whole body froze, and I didn’t even need to turn around. Through the glass reflection, I saw Russel holding Ivy’s hand. He was wearing the suit I had picked out for him. My heart twisted in my chest, and I had to fight back tears.

Before Ivy, I was the only one who ever called him “Russ.” To everyone else, he was Mr. Meyer, the heir to the Meyer empire. But not to me. Since the day we met, I refused to call him Uncle or Mr. Meyer. He was just Russ. Even though he was eight years older, I stood my ground.

People thought Russel would be mad about it, but he wasn’t. He’d just smile, pinch my cheek, and say, “Ela, call me whatever you want. It’s fine.”

I never expected we’d be in each other’s lives for long. But then the accident happened—my parents died, and the Bourne family went under. Overnight, the people who used to smile on my face turned into vultures, coming after me with fake debts, trying to take what was left.

I was broken, but Russel swooped in like a hero. He came into the house, grabbed me by the hand, and said, “Ela, don’t worry. You’re coming home with me.”

That’s how I ended up with him. Not as Elaisa Bourne, but as Russel’s little princess. He even had my room redone all in pink. Knowing I was afraid to be alone, with a door that was always cracked open, so I’d feel safe at night. He filled my life with jewels, dresses, and love—everything a girl could ask for.

But all of that—the security, the warmth, the love—came to a crashing halt that one fateful night. He came home drunk, and we crossed that invisible line. For me, it was everything I’d dreamed of. But for him? It was a nightmare. The next morning, he looked at me like I was the worst person in the world.

“How could you do something so low, Elaisa? You make me sick.”

The next thing I knew, he had that door sealed, shutting me out of his life for good. Then came the news that he’d proposed to Ivy. That’s when I finally realized the truth—he wasn’t against marriage. He just didn’t love me.

I went from being the queen of this house to an outsider overnight. Ivy uprooted the flowers I had planted and tore down the swing Russel had built for me. And at night, when I couldn’t sleep, all I could hear was their laughter and passion echoing down the halls.

One of those nights, I called my second grandfather, who’d moved overseas, and agreed to go there to take over his business.

“Elaisa,” he said, “I don't have much time left. I regret not helping our family when I could’ve. Well, I don’t expect you to forgive me or take care of me now that I'm old. But I hope you’ll take care of the business when I’m gone.”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa, I will. There’s nothing here for me anymore, anyway.”

At first, I didn’t want to leave Russel. It hurt too much. But now, I’ve become nothing but a stain in his life, and there’s no point sticking around. All I wanted was a chance to say goodbye before I left.

Elaisa's POV

But when I saw Russel and Ivy getting cozy, words caught in my throat. I was about to retreat to my room and gather my things when Russel called out to me. His voice startled me; it had been ages since he’d spoken to me without me saying something first.

“Elaisa, Ivy wants you to be a bridesmaid at our wedding.”

I should’ve guessed it was for Ivy. A bitter laugh escaped me. “Alright, Uncle.” It felt strange calling him that for the first time, and I could see it threw him off a bit.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Ivy chimed in, “Not a bridesmaid, a flower girl!” She smiled sweetly, "Our Elaisa is still just a little girl.”

A flower girl in her twenties? It felt ridiculous, almost laughable. The Russel I knew wouldn’t have stood for anyone mocking me like that. But instead of defending me, he shot me a cold look that left no room for argument. Numbly, I nodded along, my eyes drifting to the ring on his finger.

That ring—one I had made for him years ago—was engraved with mountains and raindrops. I couldn’t believe he was still wearing it. Back then, I was naive enough to think I meant something to him. I mean, why else would he ditch a billion-dollar contract to care for me when I was sick? Why would he get jealous, pinching my cheek if I chatted with other guys? He’d always say, “Ela, stay by my side forever, okay? I’ll give you the best of everything in this world.”

But just then, sensing my gaze, Russel frowned and, without a second thought, took off the ring and tossed it in the trash. Panic shot through me; I feared he’d see the pregnancy report I had crumpled up. In a panic, I called out the familiar name, “Russ.”

His expression darkened like a storm cloud. “Elaisa, remember your place.”

“Hey, Russ, come on. Don’t be mad at her,” Ivy chimed in, snuggling closer to Russel and planting a kiss on his cheek. Just like that, the coldness vanished from his eyes. When he looked at Ivy, all I saw was tenderness—a tenderness I had once briefly known but lost forever in a single night.

That’s when it hit me. Some feelings are better left buried deep, like secrets that can tear you apart if you let them out. Because once they’re out in the open, they would take everything you’ve got.

After smoothing things over with Russel, Ivy turned to me with a bright smile. "Oh, right! Why don’t you come shopping with us later, sweetie?" She continued, "Russ says you’ve got good taste. You used to pick out all his clothes and shoes, so could you help us choose some things for the wedding?"

I felt like a lonely orphan under someone else’s roof, and I had no choice but to agree to Russel's soon-to-be-wife.

Ivy didn’t like having a driver around, so she insisted that Russel drive himself. And like a good man, he indulged her every whim.

When we climbed into the car, Russel opened the passenger door automatically, but this time it was Ivy who slid into the seat. The lucky charm I had sewn for him was long gone, replaced by a new couple’s ornament. But that wasn’t enough for her; she complained about wanting the passenger seat to be her "exclusive spot."

Russel chuckled and said, “So childish.”

Hearing those words, words he’d said to me countless times before, twisted something inside me. I turned to watch the world blur by outside the window, lost in my thoughts.

Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly jolted as a loud crash shook the car. We were in an accident.

Elaisa's POV

My forehead slammed against the front seat, pain rippling through my belly. Tried lifting my head to call out, but all I saw was Russel protecting Ivy, holding her close as they got out of the car. He was calm, making calls to sort everything out.

It wasn’t until I crawled out of the backseat that he even noticed me. His eyes flickered with surprise, like he’d forgotten I was there. “My stomach... it hurts real bad,” I managed to say, my voice barely hanging on.

Just then, Ivy peeked out from Russel’s arms and spat, “Why is it every time you see me and Russ together, you find some way to steal his attention? Do you hate us being close that much?”

Now, there was a time when even the smallest scrape on me had Russel all worked up. He’d patch me up, tell me jokes, and stay with me until I was better. But today, standing there, sweat running cold down my face, he looked at me with disgust. “Elaisa, how much longer are you going to keep up this act?”

“I’m not...” The words barely came out of me. Even in the ambulance, Russel didn’t so much as look my way. My head throbbed, and my arm had a nasty cut from the glass. It needed stitches, and I could feel every single one because they couldn’t give me anything for the pain—not with a baby inside me.

The doctor, seeing me quiet and tough, shook her head. “You’re strong. Lucky for you, the baby’s alright,” she said, trying to soften the blow.

“Could you schedule a D&C procedure for me?” I asked, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

“You don’t want to keep it?” The doctor looked at me strangely. “You were cradling your stomach when you came in. I thought…”

In a hazy moment, I had pictured the old Russel sitting by my bedside, tears in his eyes, worried about me. So instinctively, I had tried to protect our baby. But reality hit hard; I knew that both the baby and I were nothing but a disgrace to Russel. We shouldn’t exist in his world.

The doctor told me I’d need a few days before the surgery, needed to recover a bit. So I left the hospital and took a long walk to apply for a visa. By the time I got back to Meyer's house, night had fallen. I figured Russel and Ivy would be out somewhere, watching fireworks and laughing like they always did.

But there he was, sitting on the couch, waiting like he had something on his mind. “You’re home late,” he said, his voice flat.

“The hospital was busy,” I mumbled, my eyes dropping like they always did when I lied. Russel used to see right through me, but this time, he just nodded, like he didn’t care enough to question it.

“I saved you some supper. Eat something, then call Ivy and apologize.”

I didn’t know what I was apologizing for, but if that’s what Russel wanted, I’d do it. Sitting at the table, I stared at the food—all of Ivy’s favorites, spicy and hot. I forced a few bites, but my eyes stung with tears from the heat.

Russel didn’t take kindly to seeing me cry. He got up, his face hardening, a rare flicker of anger in his eyes. “Elaisa, are you putting on another show? Can’t you stop ruining a good day for once?”

With my spoon and fork shaking, I shoveled food into my mouth, tears spilling down my cheeks. Russel watched me for a moment, then rummaged through the medicine cabinet and pulled out a fancy scar-removal cream he had bought for me long ago. Then, he tossed it on the table like it meant nothing.

“The Meyer family doesn’t owe you anything,” he said, his voice cold as winter wind. “Clean yourself up and don’t embarrass me at the wedding.”

I wanted to tell him it wouldn’t matter much longer. I wouldn’t be around to embarrass anyone soon. But before I could open my mouth, he’d already walked away, leaving me sitting there, alone with my thoughts.