"Call him."
Elara just sat there, staring at her phone confused on what to do.
"Elara, please call him," Maya repeated, folding her arms.
"Or what? Elara asked, hoping to get a better option
You want to just sit here and cry till we're homeless again?"
"I don't even know if he'll pick," she muttered.
Maya scoffed.
"Whether he picks or not, that's his problem. But you? You're his wife. So start acting like one."
Elara picked up her phone slowly to call him. Her fingers hovered over his number, contemplating on if she should call or not.
"What if he…"
"Call him," Maya cut in.
Elara pressed the call button and the phone rang twice then he picked up.
"Hello…"
The line went dead.
"…Did he just cut your call?" Maya blinked
"He picked," she said quietly. "Then ended the call."
Maya's eyes widened.
"Wow."
"Okay," Maya said, pacing around. "Okay, I see what's going on."
Elara looked up weakly.
"He wants to act like that?" Maya continued. "Fine. We'll match his energy."
Elara frowned. "What do you mean?"
Maya stopped pacing and turned to her sister. Maya has always been more of an action person amongst the Moore sisters.
"You're going to his office."
Elara blinked.
"What?"
"Yes," Maya said firmly. "If he won't talk to you, you go to him."
Elara hesitated.
"I don't even know where he lives…"
"Exactly," Maya said. "So the only place you can find him? Is in his father's company."
"I don't think that's a good idea…" Elara tried to convince her sister.
Maya stepped closer and lowered her voice.
"Listen to me," she said softly. "If you don't fight for this now… you'll lose everything."
"The house. The protection. . Everything," Maya said "And you think Victor will let you stay peacefully?"
"No, he wouldn't." "So go there and talk to him. Remind him that you are his wife." Maya continued.
"And if you're scared…"
Elara looked up this time around.
"I'll come with you."
"You don't have to do this alone, sis."
For the first time since everything started, Elara felt some comfort.
"I'll go," she said finally.
Maya nodded. "Good, that's my sister."
A few hours later…
Elara stared from outside the Vale Corporation building. Her heart was beating too fast.
"This place is scary," she whispered.
Maya scoffed beside her. "It's just a building, let's go."
Inside, everything screamed money. The glass walls, polished walls, people wearing fancy clothes and all.
"Excuse me," she said to the receptionist. "I'm here to see Alexander Vale."
The woman looked up with a smile. "Do you have an appointment?"
Elara hesitated. "…No."
"I'm sorry, you can't" The receptionist said politely, even though she knows Elara as a former staff member.
"I'm his wife." The words slipped out of her mouth unconsciously.
"One moment." The receptionist said while picking up her phone to call her boss.
"I'm sorry," she said, hanging up. "Mr. Vale is currently in a meeting. He cannot be disturbed."
"I'll wait." Elara cuts in.
Minutes later… Upstairs, while in the board meeting. Everywhere was tensed. As Alexander stood at the head of the table.
"You've been absent for days," one of the board members finally said.
"You disappeared after an accident and now you're back like nothing happened?" Another board member spoke up.
Alexander sat down composed. "I'm here now."
"That's not enough," Richard Hale, the board chairman added. "Your father's will is clear."
"You need to be married to take full control as CEO," she continued.
"We heard you are married, but we are yet to confirm you." He continued
Alexander's eyes snapped up. "What?"
"Yes," Richard continued further. "Words have it that you got married recently."
Then the room stirred up.
"Is it true?"
Alexander opened his mouth to say something before the door opened forcefully and everyone turned to know what the noise was about.
Behold, Elara stood there with the receptionist trying to hold her back but she pushed through.
"I need to talk to you," she said, her voice shaking but loud enough.
"Who let her in?" someone muttered.
One of the board members leaned forward. "And who exactly are you?"
"I'm his wife."
All eyes turned to Alexander in shock and confusion.
"She's not." He spoke up.
"What?" someone asked.
"She is not my wife," Alexander repeated.
"But she just said…" One of the board members spoke up.
"She's lying."
Elara suddenly got some guts and came in a bit closer.
"I'm not lying," she said quickly. "We got married…"
"I don't know you," Alexander cut in.
"You do," she insisted. "You just…"
"Enough."
Victor stepped forward. "Let's calm down," he said smoothly.
"Alexander recently had an accident," Victor continued. "There are some… memory complications."
"He needs rest," Victor added. "Not stress like this."
Alexander's expression changed instantly.
"I do not have any memory problem," he snapped.
Victor raised his hands slightly.
"I understand how you feel…"
"Don't speak for me," Alexander cut in sharply.
"I remember everything," he continued. "Everything that matters."
"Then why don't you remember that we are married?" Elara blurted out.
Before she could say anything else, Alexander turned.
"I'm done here." And he walked out. Leaving everyone behind and one by one everyone left the boardroom with whispers and questions too.
In a few minutes, it was just Elara standing there alone. Maya, seeing everyone leave except her sister, rushed in.
"Are you okay?"
Elara didn't answer. She stood there lost.
"What do we do now?" Maya asked softly.
"I don't know…"
Then Victor suddenly walked in with hands in his pockets.
"I warned you."
"You told me to leave," she said quietly.
"And you didn't listen," he replied.
He glanced around. "Now look at you."
"Embarrassing yourself in front of the entire board."
Elara clenched her fists. "I'm his wife."
Victor smiled faintly. "You're forcing yourself into a war you don't understand."
He stepped closer.
"And wars like this?"
"They don't end well for people like you."
Her heart pounded. "I'm not scared of you," she said.
And Victor leaned closer. "You should be."
"Because if you don't step back…"
His eyes locked with hers.
"You'll get burned."
Victor straightened up, clearing his throat.
"I suggest you disappear before things get worse." Then he walked past her.
As Elara slowly turned to leave, her phone vibrated again.
Another unknown message and she opened it only to see a photo. A photo of her house.
And another message followed: "You really think we don't know where you live?"