The invitation came wrapped in velvet — as if a luxurious exterior could hide the stench underneath.
Elise stared at it, lips curled in disgust.Her "family" wanted to meet.
Of course they did. Now that their empire was crumbling and their secrets were exploding across headlines like fireworks, they were scrambling to rewrite history.
Silas stood behind her, arms crossed, jaw tight. "It's a trap."
"Obviously," she said coolly. "But I'm not going to fall for it."
"You're not going."
She turned and looked him dead in the eye. "Yes, I am."
Silas stiffened. "Elise—"
"They took everything from me. My choices. My dignity. My freedom." Her voice was steady, but her eyes were ice. "I want to look them in the face and make sure they know exactly who I am now."
He was quiet for a beat… then gave a grim nod. "Then I'm coming with you."
—
The restaurant was lavish, private, and cold — much like the people waiting inside.
Elise entered like a storm contained in heels. Silas followed behind her, a dark shadow of lethal calm.
Her father stood first. Still trying to play the proud patriarch, even with panic sweating through his collar.
"Elise," he greeted, voice soft. "You look—"
"Spare me," she cut in. "You don't get to play father now."
Her stepmother shifted uncomfortably, fake pearls clinking as she reached for a wine glass. "We just wanted to talk. This media scandal... it's getting out of hand."
"Oh, you mean the truth?" Elise tilted her head, amused. "Yeah, it does that."
"You're destroying the family name," her father snapped.
She laughed — loud, sharp, devastating. "I'm not destroying anything. I'm just dragging your skeletons out into the daylight. If they turn to dust, that's on you."
"You'll regret this," he hissed. "The world forgets fast, Elise. But enemies? They remember."
Silas stepped forward then, voice smooth as velvet laced with venom. "So do protectors."
He slid Elise's chair back for her like a gentleman at high tea — if high tea were hosted in hell.
She didn't bother with goodbye. She simply stood, met their eyes with all the fire they tried to break out of her, and walked away — head high, heels loud, future sharp.
They had created a monster.But they forgot one thing:
Monsters don't bow.They bite.