Chapter 54
Elena
“Sally!” I yelled, hoping the sound of music coming from above the deck would let her hear me, but she hadn’t sprinted here in her usual fashion. I knew it was pointless to keep calling out to her. Sally was the personal assistant my father had employed to practically follow me around since I returned from what he called my foolish decision
to run off.
I had come up with a story to explain my disappearance a few weeks before my wedding with Rogerio, but I knew that even if everyone else believed my tale of woe, he didn’t buy it. He had questions about the inability of his private investigators to find my location. Still, my mother had warned him to stop questioning me, stating that I had just gone through a traumatic experience and didn’t need to be interrogated.
I knew getting my family to get off my back would be easy as pie. My main problem was getting Rogerio to accept me, but even that proved easier than I envisioned, which surprised and terrified me in a way. During the first week, I preferred to convince myself that he truly loved me and was glad that I returned, but when I started noticing changes in his demeanor, I knew I was in for a rocky ride.
If I had any choice in the matter, I’d completely stay away from the Thuthais, but I knew that telling my father I wanted to start on a different plan rather than the one he had originally set out for me would be pushing my luck. He wouldn’t listen to that. He simply tolerated my disappearance based on the mere fact that I had returned and his
grand scheme was back on track.
If I indicated that I wanted to ruin his opportunity to amass wealth and increase his social currency, I would be lighting a fire I’d never be able to amicably put out. The last thing I wanted was to be cut off from my family. I knew
what it felt like to live without access to the luxuries that came with being a La Guerta. Anyone with a good head on
their shoulders wouldn’t want to lose that.
I tried not to wallow in the past, but I was irredeemably foolish the first time. If I made another thoughtless move, it would be my last chance at getting any money from my family. My father, at least–I knew my mother wouldn’t abandon me, but she had limited influence over my father. There were only so many deviations to the plan a power–drunk man could take, and I wasn’t ready to take my chances either.
I heaved a sigh as my mind slipped back to the time I spent away from home. While I thought it was a slice of hell to live without my idea of adequate resources, it was truly one of the most peaceful times of my life. Each day that passed made me feel inclined to experience it again, but I knew it was futile to yearn for something that potentially endangered my comfort, so I tried to focus on the present.
I had just gotten off the phone with Rogerio a few minutes ago. The reception wasn’t great given that we were sailing toward the island, which was going to be the venue for my bachelorette party. But I could tell that he was not over the conversation we had at the restaurant. I remembered the exchange vividly because I had gone to that meeting happy to go shopping for the wedding, but he spent the entire time at the restaurant and on the ride talking about my visit to the Thuthai estate.
My efforts to steer him away from the conversation proved futile, and after some time, I snapped at him, asking if he had come all this way to talk about his ex, who he claimed he didn’t love but had only married to get his chunk of the family inheritance, which included a place at the helm of affairs in the company. He backed down from the
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Danging into the Heart of Mr. Cet
35.1%
Chapter 54
conversation for a bit, but that was futile, as the mood had been ruined. I tried to enjoy the food and visits to the shops, but even that left a bitter taste in my mouth, as he was uninterested in being there.
A few minutes later, he brought it up again, and I decided to tell him that I wanted the estate as a wedding gift. He seemed averse to the idea, but I wasn’t about to be deterred from something I had set my mind upon. When he tried to insist that I could have the others because that was part of the divorce settlement he had with Charlotte or whatever her name was, I assured him that I had things under control, and, thankfully; he dropped the topic. I wasn’t sure how he knew I had been to the Thuthai estate, but I had some ideas.
That meddlesome Maria Diaz must’ve told him about it, or he was still in contact with his ex–wife. I didn’t want to believe the latter, given the conversation we had before their divorce was finalized. He had shown that he had a healthy amount of disdain for her, which made it easy to convince him about going ahead with the plans. What I did not envision was him getting cold feet over the wedding.
A loud uproar went up above deck, interrupting my thoughts and pulling me out of my reverie. I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth and rolled my eyes. I had to be up there in a few minutes, but as I pondered our conversation, I felt less inclined to leave my cabin. I heard a knock on the door before it was pushed open, and a few seconds later, Sally stepped into the room.
“Well, you finally decided to grace us with your presence, Sally? Wonderful,” I said in a sarcastic tone, and she
chuckled.
“I apologize, Signora. A lot is happening up there. Thankfully, everyone is in a great mood, but I still have to ensure everything is going according to plan. How are you feeling? Ready to come up? Everyone’s ready to see you,” she replied with a cheery expression that I knew was heavily influenced by alcohol.
“Can I decline the invitation?” I asked drily, and she shook her head in response, then took a few steps towards the
bed I lay on.
“Of course not. You’re the reason we’re here. It would dampen the mood if you didn’t come up to say hi, at least,” she responded.
“That’s what I thought,” I muttered and stood up. “Very well, let’s get this over with,” I said, reaching for my robe.
A few minutes later, we were up on deck, and I was grinning so hard in a bid to hide my disinterest. After a speech thanking everybody present, a couple of private conversations, and a few drinks later, I was happy to return to my
cabin.
