Chapter 1
The day Elara Kensington lost her battle with HIV just so happened to be the day Asher Blackwood tied the knot..
She sluggishly opened Twitter, and the first thing to pop up was a headline: [Asher Blackwood, CEO of Blackwood Group, marries his long–time love, Daphne Wagner, after fifteen years together.|
At that moment, Elara was lying alone in a dark, damp room she rented in a run–down building on the outskirts of town.
The place was a dump–barely two hundred square feet–with peeling paint, mold crawling up the walls, and a heavy, choking. stench of mildew hanging in the air.
Her whole life had gone to shit. She was battling the disease, flat broke, and no one would give her a job. She scraped by, collecting plastic bottles and cardboard just to survive.
But even in her despair, she forced herself to dial Asher’s number, her fingers trembling like a leaf.
“Hello?” Daphne’s voice crackled through the line, cautious but cold as ice,
Elara took a shaky breath. “Daphne, it’s me. Can I talk to Asher? I… I need to borrow some money.”
Since her AIDS diagnosis, her immune system had crashed, leaving her trapped in a revolving door of hospital visits. Without cash for proper treatment, the relentless pain was pure hell.
She was only thirty–one, but she looked like she’d aged ten years–worn down, beaten by life.
Daphne’s voice turned sharp, almost cutting. “Again? Are you fucking serious, Elara? Haven’t you already taken enough?”
“I’m sick, Daphne. I need money for the hospital,” Elara pleaded, her voice barely holding together.
“And why the hell is that our problem? You screwed up your own life. What’s any of that got to do with us?” Daphne shot back, her tone dripping with scorn. “Does Asher owe you something?”
“I didn’t screw up! I swear I didn’t,” Elara cried, her voice trembling. “Daphne, please. I know he loves you. I promise, this is the last time I’ll ask. I just… I’m desperate here. I can’t take it anymore…
Regret clawed at her as memories flooded back. If she hadn’t been so eager to please Asher, if she hadn’t handed over her father’s company just to secure a future together, she wouldn’t be in this mess now,
Daphne let out a harsh, mocking laugh. “Oh, come on. Asher’s already given you more than enough over the years. What, you think he’s supposed to bankroll you forever? Grow the fuck up, Elara.”
Tears stung Elara’s eyes. “He’s only given me a few thousand–pocket change compared to what I used to give him every month. I built the damn company he’s got now. When he met me, he had nothing! His dad was our family’s driver, for fuck’s sake! I kept him afloat!”
Asher’s voice suddenly cut through the line, dripping with sarcasm. “Elara, your dad’s been dead for years. You still living in that little fantasy world of yours? You were a mess back then–couldn’t keep up in school for shit.
“Who do you think dragged your sorry ass through? Yeah, me. That money you keep bringing up? It was for those damn tutoring sessions. And guess what? No amount of tutoring was ever gonna fix that thick head of
yours.”
His cold words sliced through Elara’s mind like a razor, forcing her to face the brutal reality of her own naivety.
Back then, she’d seen him dirt poor and thought she was doing him a favor. She even turned down the Ivy League tutor her father had lined up, insisting on Asher instead.
From the moment Asher started tutoring her, he made it clear he thought she was a joke, tearing her down every chance he got. He’d call her dumb as a brick, say no matter how hard he tried, she’d never learn a damn thing.
Looking back now, all she could think was, “What the hell was I smoking? I could’ve had anyone. Why the fuck did 1 choose
him
Desperation seeped into her voice as she muttered, “What about my dad’s company? You promised me–if I signed it over to you, you’d marry me. Now you’re marrying someone else… I just want some of the money back.”
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Chapter 1
She’d given up on the idea of marriage a long time ago. All she wanted now was to get by.
Asher’s bitter laugh echoed through the phone, sharp and mocking. The company? Don’t make me laugh. If it weren’t for me, you would’ve run it into the ground ages ago!
“And marriage? Are you seriously that clueless? You really think I’d marry you after you tested positive for HIV right before wedding?”
the
HIV he never missed a chance to throw that in her face. Elara’s heart cracked under the weight of his words. ‘How did my life end up such a goddamn mess” she thought bitterly.
If only she hadn’t signed over the company to him. She could’ve sold it, lived comfortably, had a shot at a normal life. But now, it was way too late. The damage was done, and there was no turning back.
Lying in bed, her strength slipping away, she forced out a whisper. “Asher. I just need to know… did you ever care about me?: Even just a little
His reply was cold and ruthless, smashing the last bit of hope she clung to. “Care about you? Are you fucking kidding me? Elara, even asking that question is an insult to my intelligence. You’ve been nothing but dead weight, a goddamn pain in my
Her voice shook as she made one last desperate plea. Tm dying. Could you just… come see me one
last time?”
His reply dripped with contempt. “No! You’re not fucking worth it. I wouldn’t even bother showing up to collect your corpse. He hung up without a shred of remorse.
Elara’s world went dark, shadows swallowing her whole. She had no idea how long had passed when her phone’s ring cut through the ulence
On the other end, Daphne’s voice came through. “You still breathing?”
Elara blinked through her swollen, tear–streaked eyes, a faint glimmer of hope sparking to life. ‘Could Asher be feeling guilty? Is he trying to make things right? she thought, clinging to the idea.
“Did Asher put you up to this?” she rasped, barely managing a whisper.
Daphne’s laugh was sharp, dripping with mockery. “Oh fuck no. This was all my idea”
Now the Vice President of Blackwood Group. Daphne’s voice carried that same old smugness. “I couldn’t sit around watching you debase yourself any longer. Elara. Are you seriously still pining for Asher? Are you that fucking dense? He never gave a damn about you.”
Elara voice cracked. “I know. To him, it’s always been you.”
Daphne let out a vicious, mocking laugh. “Ever wonder how you ended up with H
Elara froze, her heart missing a beat. “What._ what the hell are you talking about? What do you know?”
Daphne’s voice was poison. Don’t play dumb. He didn’t want to marry you, so he had someone jab you with an HIV–infected needle. Made it easier to ditch you without a speck of guilt. And you’re still so goddamn clueless. It’s pathetic. Like I told you before, you re a fucking idiot”
Before Elara could react, the call cut off abruptly.
She stared blankly at her beaten up phone as it slipped from her trembling hand, landing with a dull thud on the damp floor.
The memories of the past few years surged through her mind. She had poured everything into loving Asher, only to learn in the end that his heart had always been made of ice
Elara’s last clear memory was in the hospital roun
A guy in a military uniform had brought her in. During those bleak, agonizing days, his rare act of kindness was the only
warmth she had
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Why are you helping me?”
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Chapter 1
Without him, she would’ve probably died alone in that crappy apartment.
His gaze was steady, sincere. “General Lysander Hawthorne sent me. He’s on his way.”
Just hearing Lysander’s name dug up memories she hadn’t touched in years–the man who once tried to help her break free from Brookfield. The fiancé her father had handpicked for her.
But back then, her heart was with Asher. She’d turned Lysander down without a second thought, spitting out words she’d come
to regret
Now, thinking about him, all she felt was the heavy, choking weight of her own mistakes.
“How… how’s he been all these years?” she asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.
The man’s response was blunt, “He’s been wrapped up in military stuff, still single. Said… you’re still his fiancée.”
But Elara never got to see Asher’s wedding day. Her memories would forever be trapped in those final moments, just before midnight
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in high school–senior year. Her head rested on her desk, half–asleep, when Asher gave her a nudge
“Daphne’s on her period and feels like shit. Get her some ibuprofen, will ya? And grab her extra meat at lunch. She’s way too damn skinny; needs to put on some weight, he said, sounding half–annoyed but mostly worried.
