Chapter 99

Elijah

Thea was bouncing on her toes by the front door, practically vibrating with excitement. She had been talking about the upcoming fashion show nonstop for days, asking me a million questions about what Agnes had designed and whether she would get to see the models up close.

We were supposed to be there soon. The show wouldn’t start for a while, but I wanted to arrive early just in case Agnes needed anything.

“Daddy, hurry up!” Thea called for the umpteenth time that morning. “We’re gonna be late!”

I chuckled, slipping my phone into my pocket as I reached for the keys on the counter. “We’re not going to be late, Thea. The show doesn’t start for another two hours.”

She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “But I wanna see Mommy before it starts! She said I could help backstage!”

I smiled, ruffling her hair as I opened the door. “Alright, alright. Let’s—”

But the words died in my throat as I looked up and saw Olivia standing on the porch, her arms crossed and a sharp smile on her face.

“Hello, Elijah. Hello, darling Thea.”

Thea tensed beside me, instinctively shuffling behind my legs. I placed a hand on her shoulder to soothe her.

“Olivia,” I said, trying not to show just how perturbed I was by Olivia’s unexpected appearance—mostly just for Thea’s sake, but also to not give Olivia the satisfaction of ruffling me. “What are you doing here?”

She tilted her head, her smile widening just a touch. “Don’t you remember? Today is my bonding day with Thea. Or did you forget?”

I frowned, my grip tightening on the keys. We hadn’t discussed any designated ‘bonding days’. Not since the dollhouse incident, anyway. Not that that incident was really Olivia’s fault, but Agnes had told me what Thea had said after that… unexpected kiss.

How Thea didn’t want to see her anymore. How uncomfortable it made her, seeing her father subject to Olivia’s whims.

“Thea made it pretty clear she didn’t want to do the private meetings anymore,” I said calmly. “I’m sorry, Olivia, but if she doesn’t want it, then I’m not going to make her. You must understand.”

Olivia’s smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly snapped it back into place. Her voice was saccharine but her eyes were sharp as knives as she said, “You can’t just decide that on your own, Elijah. I’m her mother. I have rights.”

Behind me, I felt Thea tense even further. “But I wanna go to the fashion show,” she whispered, glancing up at me with those big eyes of hers.

Olivia’s gaze snapped to her, her expression softening for a fraction of a second before hardening again. “Thea, sweetheart, don’t you want to hang out with your real mommy for a bit?”

Thea pursed her lips. “Agnes is my mommy.”

That seemed to set Olivia off. She took a step closer, and something protective took over me. I scooped Thea up into my arms, holding her tight against my chest as I flashed a warning glance at Olivia as if to say, “Take another step, and you’ll never see her again.”

Olivia wasn’t stupid, of course. She halted the moment she saw that look and quickly schooled her expression into one of utter sweetness. “But Thea, honey, you love spending time with me, don’t you? Remember how much fun we had playing with your dollhouse?”

Thea didn’t answer.

With a sigh, I moved to edge around Olivia. “Thea has made up her mind, Olivia. We have to go to Agnes’s fashion show. We’ll be late.”

But Olivia’s jaw tightened, and she took a step to the side, effectively blocking my way. “Elijah, I came all this way. I want to spend time with my daughter. You promised.”

I hesitated, my eyes narrowing. Just then, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I slipped it out to see Agnes’s name lighting up the screen. I paused for a moment before declining the call, promising myself I’d call her back as soon as I could.

Olivia’s eyes flicked to my phone, and her expression darkened like storm clouds gathering on the horizon. “Who was that?” she demanded.

“None of your business,” I said firmly. “Now move, Olivia. We’re leaving.”

She didn’t budge. Instead, she pulled out her phone and started dialing a number. “Fine. If you’re going to be difficult, then I’ll just call my lawyer. We’ll see how the courts feel about you denying me access to my daughter.”

My stomach dropped, and I felt Thea lean her head against me, hiding her face from her mother. “Olivia, don’t do this,” I said with a huff. “You’re only going to hurt Thea. We’ll reschedule your bonding day, but it can’t be today.”

“I’m not the one hurting her,” she snapped, her eyes blazing. “You are. You and that… that woman you’ve replaced me with.”

I opened my mouth to say something more, but just then, Thea tugged on the lapel of my suit jacket. “I’ll go,” she whispered in my ear. “Just for half an hour. Okay?”

I looked down at her, my heart aching at the selflessness in her eyes. She always had a way of showing that her soul was far older than her body during moments like this, but I never saw that as a good thing. It was a manifestation of the horrors Olivia had put her through, nothing more. She shouldn’t have to act like that.

“Thea, you don’t have to do this,” I said softly.

“I know. But I don’t want you or Mommy to get in trouble.”

Olivia folded her arms, watching with amusement. “She said she wants to, Elijah,” she cooed. “You won’t deny your daughter now, will you?”

I ignored Olivia, keeping my focus on Thea. “Honey, you really don’t have to.”

But she shook her head firmly, sending dark strands of hair into her eyes. “I’ll be okay, Daddy. Just half an hour, then we can go see Mommy.”

Dammit, I thought bitterly. I really wanted to whisk Thea away without another word, but I knew that Olivia wasn’t bluffing when she said she would call her lawyer. Perhaps it was more trouble than it was worth over a brief meeting. “Fine,” I finally huffed, meeting Olivia’s gaze with a stormy one of my own. “Half an hour. And I’m staying with her.”

Olivia’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Fine. But we’re going out. There’s a cafe nearby. Thea loves it there.”

Thea didn’t say anything, but I could see the hesitation in her eyes. She didn’t love that cafe. She’d told me as much the last time we’d visited. But she didn’t argue, and neither did I.

The cafe was only a short walk away, and Olivia led the way. I held Thea the entire time, wanting to make her feel safe and comforted. The way her arms were wrapped so tightly around my neck broke my heart all over again.

When we arrived, Olivia immediately started ordering sweets for Thea, despite my reminders that Thea didn’t like most of them. She wasn’t much one for sweets, often preferring treats like apples or savory potato chips when she wanted a snack.

“She’ll love these,” Olivia said, placing a plate of pastries in front of Thea. “They’re her favorites.”

Thea glanced at me with an uncertain look in her eyes. I gave her a small nod, and she picked up a pastry, taking a tiny bite before setting it back down.

“It’s good,” she said quietly, although I could tell she didn’t mean it.

Olivia beamed, oblivious to Thea’s discomfort. “See? I told you she’d like them.”

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. The clock on the wall ticked slowly, each second feeling like an eternity. I kept a gentle smile on my face for Thea’s sake, but inside, I was seething.

Olivia kept trying to engage Thea in conversation, but Thea’s responses were short and quiet. She kept glancing at the clock as well, as if waiting for the time to pass. If Olivia noticed, she didn’t let on to it—just kept grinning and reminding Thea to eat her pastry.

Finally, Thea excused herself to the restroom, which was close enough that I knew she’d be fine going on her own. I watched her until she disappeared through the bathroom door, but my gaze was pulled away by the sensation of Olivia’s hand suddenly covering mine.

“Elijah,” she said, leaning close to me, “we used to be so happy. Don’t you remember? Doesn’t this remind you?” She gestured to our table, to us, to Thea’s empty seat and half-eaten pastry.

I pulled my hand away, my jaw tightening. “Olivia, don’t. You know how I feel.”

But she didn’t listen. Instead, she leaned in closer, her lips pressing against mine in a sudden, searing kiss.

My wolf reacted instantly, a surge of heat and longing coursing through me as the bond flared to life. It took every ounce of strength I had to pull away, to break free from the kiss.

“Olivia, you have to stop this,” I huffed, looking away.

But Olivia just beamed at me.

The first thing I noticed when I looked away was Thea’s big, teary eyes, filled with confusion and hurt as she stood in the bathroom doorway. The second thing I noticed was the fan standing nearby, her camera out and a look of shock on her face.

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest as the realization hit me.