Elias’s POV
“Elias-“Harper’s voice trembled as she clutched my arm, stopping me. “You can’t just walk away. This is our wedding.”
The words were too familiar. I’d heard them again and again.
“You said you’d take care of
- me.
“You knew I was hurting.”
“You said you’d give me a child.
A
child.”
And finally-
“Please, just tell
ene
pied. I don’t want Lilà to be called a bastard.”
Had I given Harper too
Maybe.
J
And this time, her words didn’t land.
The only thing that mattered now was finding Noa. Finding my twins. Even if all that was left were bodies–I needed to bring them home.
“Let me go, Harper.” I shook her off and stepped away from the stage.
She clung tighter. “Elias, I forbid you to leave now!”
I turned slowly, stunned.
How had I not seen her clearly until now?
So needy and entitled and selfish.
She’d heard about the video and she still forbid of me saving Noa?
“I said let me the fuck go.” My voice was cold and final.
But Harper only shook her head, panic creeping in. “Please, Elias. If you leave now–what will people say about me? About Lila? Noa was strong, remember? Stronger than me. She’ll save herself again.”
I stared at her. Speechless.
“Even if she was strong,” I said finally, “she can still die if someone shoots her, Harper.”
She flinched.
Then she tried again.
“But what if the video’s fake?” she whispered, desperate. “What if she made it up–to scare you? To ruin our day?”
Fake?
I stared at her like I’d never seen her before.
“She could have fabricated it, sure,” I said slowly. “But even if she did–it’s still my job to go to her. And who the hell are you to try to stop me?”
I shoved her arms off with force. “Maybe I’ve given you too much and you forgot who the fuck I am. Don’t ever speak to me or about Noa ever again.”
Harper looked stricken. “But you know she lied about me locking the twins. Why can’t she be lying now?”
I took a long, hard breath. “I don’t fucking care if she lied or not. I am going to find her, can you understand?”
Her composure shattered.
“So what? You’re abandoning me now?” she screeched. The sweetness vanished. In its place stood a woman unhinged, desperate. “If you just decide to abandon me, why did you ask me to marry you? Why did you let me move in? Have your child?”
“This wedding, Harper,” I said, voice like ice, “was a formality. You said you didn’t want Lila to be seen as a bastard. So I offered. That’s all. Nothing more. You will not become Mrs. Ward. Not now. Not ever.”
Her eyes widened. “No. You can’t be serious, Elias. After everything? All those nights… all those whispered promises?”
She looked at me like I was the villain. Like I had broken her heart.
But I was done playing along.
“Noa was my one and only,” I said, flat and final. “And if you had an ounce of respect for her, you’d let me go so I can bury her properly.”
“Please, Elias. You promised…”
That’s is. The constant mention of that damn stupid promise. My patience snapped.
