Chapter 274
She couldn’t confront him. Not here. Not surrounded by luxury tents, wandering staff, and too many curious eyes. This place devoured privacy whole. No—she would wait until they were home, where walls were solid and lies had nowhere to echo.
Still, the waiting felt unbearable.
The silence pressed in, thick and suffocating, broken only by Rafael’s calm breathing and the distant sounds of the camp settling into sleep.
Eliana closed her eyes and drew in a slow breath, her hand tightening protectively over her belly.
Whatever this was—truth or manipulation—it wasn’t over.
And she had the sinking feeling that someone, somewhere, was counting on that.
Quietly, so as not to wake him, Eliana slipped from the bed. Her bare feet padded softly across the plush rug, her nightgown whispering against her legs. Rafael stirred slightly, but his exhaustion from the day’s events—managing his empire from afar, coordinating with James and the bodyguards—kept him in deep slumber. James slept in his own tent but he was ever vigilant. And the bodyguards—Oliver, Will, Liam, Kai, Viktor, and Jax—were stationed outside, their presence a constant shield. But tonight, in this rare moment of vulnerability, Eliana needed air, space to think. She couldn’t bear the tent’s confines any longer.
Sneaking past the guards wasn’t easy; they were shadows themselves, melting into the night. But Eliana knew the layout well enough to slip through a side flap, her heart pounding as she emerged into the cool mountain air. The festival grounds were quiet now, the distant hum of revelry faded to whispers. She pulled a light shawl around her shoulders and started walking toward the hiking trail, the path lined with towering pines that rustled like secrets in the wind. The moon cast silver beams through the branches, illuminating the dirt trail that wound upward, away from the crowds.
Just a short walk, she told herself, her steps light but purposeful. Clear my head. Figure this out. The fresh scent of earth and evergreen filled her lungs, a brief respite from the turmoil inside.
But she wasn’t alone for long. From the shadows of a cluster of boulders, Jason Asher emerged, blocking her path like a ghost from her past. His golden-boy charm was dimmed by the night, but his hazel eyes gleamed with desperate intensity, his blonde hair tousled from whatever vigil he’d been keeping over her. He wore a stylish jacket over his gym-toned frame, but there was nothing casual about his stance—hands shoved in pockets, shoulders tense.
“Eliana,” he said, his voice low and urgent, stepping closer. “Finally. I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you alone. Those guards of yours are like hounds—never let you out of sight p>
Eliana froze, her honey eyes widening in alarm. “Jason? What are you doing here? Get out of my way p>
He didn’t move, instead taking another step, his charismatic smile flickering to life despite the tension. “Please, just hear me out. I… I messed up. Breaking up with you was the biggest mistake of my life. I was stupid, entitled. Sarai—she twisted things, made me think you weren’t enough. But you are. You’re everything p>
Eliana’s heart raced, a mix of anger and pity surging through her. She backed up a step, her voice steady despite the emotion welling up. “Jason, stop. That was ages ago. I’m married now. To Rafael. And I’m pregnant. We’re building a life—a real one. You need to move on. Find someone else who wants what you offer p>
His face twisted, narcissism cracking through the facade of remorse. “Pregnant? With his kid? Come on, Eliana. Rafael? That recluse billionaire who’s entire body is broken? He’s using you, just like everyone else. I know you—your kindness, your loyalty. You deserve better than some cold puppet master. Come back to me. We were good together. Childhood friends, remember? Sarai’s poison, but I see it now p>
She shook her head, her curls bouncing with the motion, her full pink lips pressed into a firm line. “No, Jason. We weren’t good. You cheated with Sarai—my best friend. Our best friend. You broke me. But I healed. Rafael… he sees me. Trusts me. And I trust him.” Doubt flickered in her mind about the photos, but she pushed it down. “Leave me alone p>
Jason’s hazel eyes darkened, his hands reaching out to grab her arms gently at first, then firmer as she tried to pull away. “You can’t mean that. You’re too naive, Eliana. Always have been. Suffering in silence like some martyr. Let me show you p>
“Get off me!” Eliana snapped, her voice rising as she shoved at his chest, her emotional resilience cracking into raw fury. They struggled, her slender frame twisting against his stronger one. Jason leaned in, trying to capture her lips in a desperate kiss, his breath hot against her face. “Eliana, please p>
“No!” She kneed him lightly in the thigh, breaking free for a moment, but he lunged again, their argument escalating into a frantic tussle on the narrow trail. The dirt shifted under their feet, pebbles scattering like warnings.
Unseen in the shadows nearby, Bianca Monroe had been prowling the trails, her fierce beauty cloaked in darkness. She sought a quiet spot to plot—to refine her plan for Eliana’s demise, the contract’s weight burning in her mind. The wine from earlier still lingered on her tongue, fueling her resolve. ’How to make it look like an accident,’ she mused, her sharp green eyes scanning the terrain. ’A fall, perhaps. Or something subtler p>
Then she heard the voices—Eliana’s sharp refusal, Jason’s pleading insistence. Peering through the pines, Bianca’s lips curved into a predatory smile. There they were, alone on the edge of the trail, where it dropped sharply into a wooded ditch below—a steep valley of rocks and underbrush, hidden from the main paths. Jason was trying to kiss Eliana, their bodies entangled in conflict. Perfect, Bianca thought, her heart pounding with opportunistic glee. ’Two birds, one push p>
She moved like a shadow, silent in her heels, creeping up behind them. As Eliana shoved Jason again, creating a momentary gap, Bianca struck. With a surge of adrenaline, she lunged forward, her hands slamming into their backs. “Goodbye, obstacles,” she whispered fiercely under her breath.
Eliana’s scream pierced the night as she and Jason tumbled over the edge, their bodies crashing through branches and sliding down the steep incline into the darkness below. The valley swallowed them, leaves rustling in their wake, the world above suddenly silent.
Bianca stepped back, dusting her hands, her breath coming in excited gasps. Victory tasted sweet, but she knew the night was far from over.