Chapter 5
A glacial chill slithered through Eleanor’s veins, seeping from her toes upward, a slow frost that numbed her limbs and settled like ice in her core. The truth struck her with brutal clarity—she’d been a fool, clinging to fragile dreams: a new family with Logan, his embrace of fatherhood as Chloe had painted it, their unborn child a bridge across the widening abyss between them. But those hopes shattered against the unyielding wall of reality—Logan’s heart ranked even their child beneath Riley, an unwelcome shadow in his eyes.
Her lids fluttered shut, tears carving silent rivers down her cheeks, each drop a testament to her naivety. “I know you don’t like Riley,” Logan’s voice broke through, laced with a patronizing edge that grated against her wounds. “But her health’s fragile now. Surely you can muster some empathy.” His gaze skimmed her tear-streaked face, softening only slightly as he added, “We can talk about kids when she’s better. No need to rush.”
A bitter smile twisted Eleanor’s lips, sharp and fleeting. She knew the stakes—if she revealed her pregnancy now, Logan would haul her to a hospital, demanding the child’s end to preserve Riley’s lifeline. This baby, a fragile thread to her lost family, was hers to protect, not a pawn for Riley’s sake. “Of course, I understand,” she said, brushing away tears with trembling fingers, conjuring a frail smile. “I won’t trouble you anymore.” Before he could reply, she fled his office, her steps a frantic echo as she escaped the suffocating weight of his indifference.
Back at Serenity Villa, she packed with haste, her hands shaking as they folded the remnants of her life there. She left instructions with Chloe and slipped away, her initial plan—a hotel refuge—derailed by her uncle’s timely call. She arrived at his doorstep, where Amelia Thomas greeted her, her voice warm as a hearth. “Eleanor, you’re finally here! I’ve missed you so much!” But the glow in Amelia’s eyes dimmed as she noted Eleanor’s empty hands, a flicker of disappointment shadowing her welcome.
“Amelia, forgive me,” Eleanor said quickly, sensing the shift. “I left in a rush—I didn’t bring a gift.” Her words hung in the air, a quiet apology.
Grayson Thomas stepped forward, his presence steady as an oak. “No need for that, Eleanor. You’re too formal with us—we’re family. Why didn’t you tell us you were released? I’d have fetched you from that dreary place.”
“It was pouring that day. I didn’t want to trouble you,” she replied, her gaze softening. “How have you been, Uncle Grayson?”
“Same as ever,” he said, his eyes settling on her suitcase, a question in their depths. “What’s with the luggage?”
“I’m divorcing Logan and leaving Serenity Villa,” Eleanor answered, her voice steady despite the ache beneath it.
“What?” Amelia’s cry pierced the room, sharp and incredulous. “Was this Logan’s doing?”
Eleanor shook her head. “No, I chose to end it.”
“Has prison scrambled your mind?” Amelia’s words cut, her anxiety spilling over. “Do you know how many women would kill to join the Barrett family? They’re the richest in the nation, and you’re walking away? Have you lost your wits?”
“Enough!” Grayson’s glare silenced her, his tone firm as stone. “Logan condemned Eleanor without proving that video’s truth. Anyone would lose faith in a marriage like that. Divorce makes sense. Eleanor, your grandmother’s gone, but I’m here. Move in—I’ll look after you.”
“There’s no need,” Eleanor countered gently. “I’ll rent a place, find work soon. Don’t worry about me.”
“We’ve got room to spare,” Grayson insisted, reaching for her suitcase. “Why waste money on rent? It’s settled.”
“Grayson’s right,” Amelia chimed in, her tone shifting. “But, Eleanor, the divorce—how much will you take from it?”
“Nothing. I’m leaving with empty hands,” Eleanor replied, her calm a thin veneer over her turmoil.
“What?” Amelia’s voice soared, a shrill note of disbelief. “You’re mad! Nothing? How will you live?”
“I signed a prenup,” Eleanor explained patiently. “I was never entitled to their wealth.” She pivoted, her gaze settling on Grayson. “Uncle, before Grandma passed, she gave me a pendant and started to say something about my parents. I didn’t hear the rest. Do you know what she meant?”
A shadow flitted across Grayson’s face, swiftly masked. “If she gave you the pendant, keep it close. As for your parents… she probably just mourned the hard start you had.” His voice was gentle, a balm over an old wound.
Eleanor nodded, accepting it without question. “Even without parents, Grandma and Grandpa filled my life with love. I never felt unlucky.”
“That’d comfort them in their rest,” Grayson murmured, a wistful note threading his words.
The clock chimed ten as Logan returned to Serenity Villa, the master bedroom a hollow shell without Eleanor’s presence. His call to her went unanswered, her silence a wall he couldn’t breach. Descending the stairs, he summoned Chloe, his voice taut. “Where’s Eleanor?”
“She’s moved out, Mr. Barrett,” Chloe replied, her tone heavy with the secret Eleanor had bound her to—silence about the pregnancy, a shield for the child’s safety.
“What?” A deep furrow carved Logan’s brow. “When?”
“This morning.” Chloe hesitated, then offered a document, its edges crisp with finality. “She left this divorce agreement for you.”
Logan’s eyes raked over the pages, a cold laugh rasping from his throat. “Leaving with nothing—she’s got guts!” His amusement was laced with disbelief.
“She seemed set on it,” Chloe said quietly.
“That’s not her call to make!” Logan yanked at his tie, frustration flaring as he stormed out, barking for the driver to prepare the car.
Fresh from a shower in her uncle’s guest room, Eleanor was slipping into the quiet embrace of sleep when her phone’s ring shattered the stillness. An unknown number glowed on the screen, unfamiliar yet insistent. She answered, tentative. “Hello?”
“Come downstairs.” Logan’s voice, cold and commanding, sliced through the line.
Her grip tightened, a shiver racing down her spine. “I’m already in bed.”
“Ten minutes, Eleanor,” he said, his tone a velvet threat. “If you’re not down, I’ll make sure this neighborhood doesn’t sleep tonight.” The call cut off, leaving her staring at the dark screen, her pulse quickening. After a beat, she dressed and descended, each step a reluctant surrender.
Outside, a black Rolls-Royce gleamed under the streetlights, Logan’s towering figure beside it, cigarette smoke curling into the damp night air. She kept her distance, her voice steady despite the tremor within. “It’s late. What do you want?”
“You’re asking me?” His eyes narrowed, flicking the cigarette aside. “Did you think last night was a jest? Drafting divorce papers and disappearing?” He stepped closer, his presence a storm front. “Get in the car. Come home. We’ll pretend this never happened.”
“Home…” A bitter laugh escaped her, sharp as broken glass. “That’s no home to me. If it were, why does my husband spend his nights with another woman?”
“Back to Riley,” Logan sneered, his patience thinning. “Can’t you stop being so petty?”
“Petty?” Her gaze locked with his, fierce and unyielding. “Should I grin at your devotion to her? Keep bleeding for her? Serve another sentence in her name? Our marriage was a deal, Logan, but I’m human—not Riley’s blood bank.”
He chuckled, the sound cold and hollow. “You knew it was transactional. You wed me for your grandmother’s care. Now she’s gone, and you’re ready to cut ties. Burning bridges already?”
“Then I’ll repay every penny of her hospital bills,” Eleanor shot back, her voice calm but iron-clad. “I’ll owe you nothing.”
Fury ignited in Logan’s eyes, a blaze of incredulity. “What did you say?”
“Add it up,” she said, unflinching. “I’ll write an IOU, pay it in installments. Set the interest—your call.”
Before she could brace herself, he tossed the cigarette aside and closed the distance in a heartbeat. His arms engulfed her, one hand gripping her waist as he pressed her against the car’s cold metal, the world tilting beneath her. “What are you—” Her protest died as his lips crashed against hers, a kiss that stole her breath, fierce and commanding.
She struggled, but his hold on her wrists was unrelenting, pinning her as he pulled back, desire smoldering in his gaze. His voice dropped to a husky growl. “Unless you want me to take you right here, get in the car.”
