Eliana’s grip on the phone was so tight her fingers ached, the cold glass biting into her palm as if it were the only thing keeping her from unraveling completely. Her knuckles blanched white, a silent testant to the storm raging inside her chest. The room—spacious, gilded, flawless in every way Rafael liked it—suddenly felt suffocating.
Eliana’s tears had slowed, leaving faint trails cooling on her cheeks, but her body still carried the echo of her grief. Her throat burned from the sobs she’d barely managed to choke back, and when she opened her mouth, her voice ca out thin, trembling, threaded with a rawness that told the truth her silence could not.
"Eliana? Please, talk to ," Henry’s voice pleaded from the other end of the line, laced with that familiar warmth that made her feel seen, even from miles away. She could picture him now—tall and handso, with those sharp features softened by his kind, blue eyes, probably sitting in his luxurious apartnt surrounded by dical textbooks, his brow furrowed in concern. "You’re scaring . What’s going on? Did sothing happen with your dad? Or... or with that job you ntioned?"
She dragged in a shaky breath, the kind that scraped against her throat and refused to smooth out. It caught halfway, breaking apart like a sob she didn’t have the strength to swallow. The silence on the line pushed her over the edge, and before she could stop herself, the words ca tumbling out—raw, unpolished, a confession born of desperation.
"Henry..." Her voice cracked, thin but urgent. "It’s Rafael. Rafael Vexley." She pressed the phone tighter to her ear as if that could steady her, as if hearing her own voice would make the chaos make sense. "He... he confessed his love to . He told two days ago—just blurted it out like he couldn’t keep it buried anymore." Her breath hitched, mory flooding in. "He said he’d been fighting it for so long, but he couldn’t anymore. That in the middle of everything—this madness, this danger—I was the only one who ever saw through his walls. That I was the one thing he couldn’t lie to."
There was a pause on the line, a heavy silence that stretched like a taut wire. Henry’s heart twisted sharply in his chest, a familiar ache blooming anew. He leaned back against his couch, running a hand through his tousled hair, his warm eyes clouding with unspoken sorrow. He’d loved Eliana ever since he t her in college, her laughter had always cut through the noises like sunlight piercing clouds. But she’d been with Jason then, and he’d buried his feelings deep, content to be her friend. Now, hearing this—it stung like salt in an old wound. She’s happy, he scolded himself inwardly, forcing a smile into his voice even though she couldn’t see it. That’s all that matters. Don’t be selfish, Henry. She’s been through enough.
"Wow, Eliana... that’s... that’s huge," he finally managed, his tone steady despite the turmoil inside. He swallowed hard, pushing down the jealousy that threatened to surface. "Rafael Vexley, the billionaire? I an, from what I’ve heard, he’s not exactly the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. How do you feel about it? Do you... do you love him too?"
Eliana bit her lip, her honey eyes staring blankly at the ceiling as she searched her soul for an answer. Her slender fra curled deeper into the bed, the soft comforter a poor substitute for the comfort she craved. Rafael’s confession had ignited sothing in her—a spark of warmth amid the cold dread—but it was tangled with so many other threads. "I... I feel sothing for him, Henry. Sothing deep, pulling at like a current I can’t fight. He’s been so kind, in his own guarded way. But is it love? Or just gratitude? He’s given a job, a purpose when I had nothing. He’s paying for Dad’s treatnts, pulling strings with the best doctors. How do I separate that from real feelings? It’s all so ssed up."
Henry’s mind raced, piecing together the fragnts she’d shared in their recent reconnections. He’d always been her sounding board, offering advice with that quiet ambition that drove him toward his dical dreams. But this? This was uncharted territory. "Gratitude can feel a lot like love sotis, especially when soone’s been your lifeline. But hey, emotions aren’t black and white. Give yourself ti to figure it out. You deserve that."
She let out a soft, bitter laugh, the sound muffled by her hand as she wiped away fresh tears. "Ti? That’s the one thing I don’t have, Henry. There’s a problem with his love—it’s built on lies. Mine, mostly. And I’m so guilty, so scared right now. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells, waiting for everything to shatter."
Henry’s voice sharpened with worry, his reserved nature giving way to protective instinct. He sat up straighter, his sharp features tightening in the dim light of his lamp. "What do you an? Eliana, you’re not making sense. What’s got you this worked up? Is he pressuring you or sothing?"
Her heart pounded as she prepared to unleash the secret that had been festering inside her like a poison. The room’s air felt thick, charged with the weight of her confession. "A few days after I first arrived at Rafael’s house—as his caregiver—I found out sothing horrifying. My mother, the one who abandoned my father and when I was five... she’s now Rafael’s stepmother. Mirabel Vexley. She’s married into his family, clawed her way to the top with her pearls and silk and that icy stare."
Henry gasped audibly, the sound sharp and involuntary, like a punch to the gut. He nearly dropped the phone, his warm eyes widening in disbelief. "What? Your mother? The one who just... vanished? And now she’s part of the Vexley empire? Eliana, that’s insane. How did you even find out?"
Eliana’s voice cracked, emotion flooding her words as she relived the shock. Her expressive eyes brimd with tears again, her lips trembling. "It was like a nightmare. I had a fight with her daughter Celina, she later got involved and I even got slapped by her. And the worst part? Rafael hates her. Despises her with every fiber of his being. Apparently, she’s tried to kill him several tis—poison, accidents, you na it. All for control of the family fortune."
To be continued...
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