Chapter 5 - The Ghost of the Past
The heavy oak doors of the executive office swung open, and Clara stepped inside.
She looked immaculate, as always—dressed in a cream designer trench coat, her blonde hair styled in loose, cascading waves, her diamond-less left ring finger stark and bare against the polished leather of her handbag.
She stopped short when she saw Elias sitting in his titanium wheelchair by the window, with Nora standing near the desk like a silent, watchful sentinel.
Clara’s expression flickered with a mixture of discomfort and practiced remorse.
"Elias," she said softly, taking a few tentative steps forward. "I didn't think security would let me up, but... I had to see you. After what happened at the hospital, I couldn't sleep."
Elias didn't move. He didn't offer her a seat. He simply watched her with dark, unreadable eyes.
"You shouldn't have come here, Clara," Elias said. "This is a corporate office. Unless you’re here to buy stock, you’re trespassing."
Clara winced, dabbing lightly at the corner of her eye with a designer handkerchief. "Please, don't be like that. I know how it looked. Leaving you like that... it was cowardly. I was in shock. The accident, the doctors telling us... I couldn't process it."
"You processed it in three minutes," Elias noted dryly. "Right around the time you took off the ring."
Clara bit her lower lip, stepping closer. "Elias, I loved you. I still care about you. But my life... our life plan... it was destroyed that night. I’m young, Elias. I want a family, I want to travel, I want a husband who can walk beside me down a red carpet, not a man who—"
"Not a man who needs a wheelchair," Elias finished for her. "You can say it, Clara. You don't need to wrap it in euphemisms."
Clara looked around the room, finally noticing Nora standing quietly by the desk. Her eyes narrowed with sudden, defensive suspicion. "And who is this? Another one of your employees?"
"This is Nora Bennett, my chief strategic advisor," Elias said smoothly.
Clara scoffed, crossing her arms. "Right. An advisor. Because that’s all women are to you, isn’t it? Business assets. You never really loved me, Elias. If you did, you would understand why I couldn't stay."
"You’re right," Elias said, his voice chilling the air in the room. "I didn't love the woman standing in front of me right now. Because the woman I thought I knew wouldn't have abandoned someone she swore to stand by through sickness and health the moment the road got rough."
Clara flushed angrily, her mask of remorse slipping away completely. "You’re punishing me because your pride is hurt! You think because you’re a billionaire you can lock yourself in a chair and expect everyone to worship the ground you can’t walk on anymore!"
She turned on her heel, her designer heels clicking furiously against the floor.
"Goodbye, Elias," she snapped over her shoulder. "Enjoy your empty empire."
The heavy doors slammed shut behind her, echoing through the empty office suite.
Nora walked over from the desk, picking up a pen and twirling it casually between her fingers. "Well. That cleared the air."
Elias let out a slow, heavy breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I was an idiot."
"No," Nora corrected gently, surprising him. "You were a man who expected loyalty from someone whose entire value system was built on superficial status. Don't punish yourself for her lack of character."
Elias looked up, meeting Nora’s steady, intelligent brown eyes. There was no pity in her gaze. Only strength, clarity, and an unshakable partnership forged in the fires of a corporate war.
"You’re remarkably observant for an assistant, Miss Bennett," Elias said, a faint trace of amusement touching his lips.
"I’m an advisor, Mr. Marchetti. Observing is literally in my job description," Nora retorted with a smirk. "Now, are we going to sit here analyzing your failed romance, or are we going to dismantle your cousin’s illegal empire?"
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Elias picked up the encrypted chat logs from the desk, his expression hardening into absolute resolve.
"Let’s go to work."
