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154 A Family Visit, An Unsettling Revelation
154 A Family Visit, An Unsettling Revelation
“The workers disappeared two weeks ago,” Clara explained. “Not a soul has been there
since.”
“Yes,” she whispered, gripping the phone tightly. “I’m here.”
“Call me later, okay? Promise me.”
Before Elara could respond, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw Chloe’s
name.
With practiced ease, she smoothed her expression and prepared to rejoin the family gathering, even as her mind reeled from yet another painful confirmation of where she stood in her husband’s life.
Damien’s sleek black car pulled into the driveway of his mansion. Elara glanced at him as he shifted the gear to park.
“He’s not alone,” Chloe continued, her voice gentler now. “He’s with Vivienne. And what looks like her parents.”
Inside, they found Clara and Eleanor in the sitting room, deep in conversation over tea. Both women looked up when Elara and Cora entered.
“We should head inside for a minute,” Elara said. “I need to grab the gift for Grandmother.”
“Work emergency,” Elara explained simply. “The Singapore deal needed his attention.” Eleanor’s lips thinned with disapproval. “That boy works too much. Always has.”
They settled into the comfortable sitting room. Cora curled up next to Eleanor, who immediately began asking about school and friends. Clara poured tea for everyone, adding extra honey to Elara’s
the cup
way
she always had.
Clara’s face softened as she accepted the handmade bracelet. “Oh, my darling, this is
beautiful! Did you make this all by yourself?“.
“Wait until the car stops completely,” Elara cautioned.
“Elara? Are you still there?” Chloe asked.
154 A Family Visit, An Unsettling Revelation
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to straighten up. She couldn’t let Cora or the grandmothers see her distress. She had become an expert at hiding her pain, at pretending everything was fine when her world was crumbling inside.
Elara glanced out the window at the property in question – a stately home that had been undergoing extensive renovations for months. She’d actually considered buying and selling it before the current owners purchased it.
Eleanor Thorne stood as well, elegant as always in her designer outfit. Her sharp eyes scanned behind them. “Where is my son?”
“These are beautiful, Grandmother. I’m glad you’re enjoying the set.”
“Yes, that one,” Damien confirmed.
“There you are!” Clara said, rising to embrace her granddaughter. “I was beginning to
worry.”
There was a brief pause. “I thought you should know… I’m at Antonelli’s right now, and Damien just walked in.”
The simple gesture caught Elara off guard. Lately, Cora had been distant and dismissive toward her.
“Bye, Dad!” She threw her arms around his legs in a quick hug.
When they arrived, Elara was surprised to see Eleanor Thorne’s car already parked in the circular driveway.
The drive to Clara’s estate was quiet. Élara watched the familiar landscape pa. y as Cora played on her tablet. Clara Bellweather’s estate was only twenty minutes away, a beautiful old Victorian home that had been in the family for generations.
“I’ll make it up to you,” Damien promised, turning to look at his daughter. “We can go to that new waterpark this weekend. Just you and me.”
“Yes!” Cora beamed. “I used special beads from my craft set.”
“Traffic was heavier than expected,” Elara replied, kissing her grandmother’s cheek.
“Thank you,” Elara said politely. “We’ll see you later, then.”
When she returned to the foyer, Cora was already waiting, clutching something in her
154 A Family Visit, An Unsettling Revelation
small hands.
Damien nodded, his attention already returning to his phone. As they turned to leave Cora suddenly broke away and ran back to her father.
“I know, Coco. I’m sorry,” Damien said, his voice softening slightly when addressing his daughter. “The Singapore deal needs immediate attention. I can’t postpone it.”
“May I see them?” Elara asked, genuinely curious.
The world seemed to tilt slightly. Damien had claimed he couldn’t attend a family gathering because of work, yet here he was, dining with Vivienne and her family.
“Great–Grandma Ellie is already here!” Cora exclaimed, unbuckling her seatbelt before the car had fully stopped.
But they were special – delicate renderings of the estate’s gardens, capturing light and shadow with remarkable skill. Elara picked one up, admiring the details.
Elara nearly choked on her tea. She’d been the one to track down that book, spending weeks searching through rare book dealers. Yet Damien had presented it as his own gift, never acknowledging her effort.
Clara changed the subject, perhaps sensing Elara’s discomfort. “Have you noticed the house across the street? The renovations seem to have stopped suddenly.”
Elara watched the exchange with a hollow feeling in her chest. Damien could always win Cora over with grand promises and expensive outings. Meanwhile, Elara struggled to connect with their daughter despite her consistent presence.
“Speaking of gifts,” Clara said, “Damien sent over the most thoughtful. hday present last month. A first edition of my favorite poetry collection.”
Elara ended the call and leaned against the wall, trying to compose herself before returning to the sitting room. The Singapore deal that couldn’t wait was apparently less important than dinner with Vivienne’s family. The realization shouldn’t hurt anymore – she was used to being Damien’s last priority – but somehow, it still did.
Eleanor’s penetrating gaze made Elara feel transparent. “Hmm. Well, come sit. Martha made your favorite lemon tarts.”
“I’m fine,” Elara said automatically. “Just busy with work.”
154 A Family Visit, An Unsettling Revelation
“I’m sorry, honey. I just thought you should know.”
“Do you want me to come get you?”
She stepped into the hallway and answered the call. “Hi, Chloe.”
“Great–Grandma Clara, I made you something!” Cora interrupted, eager to present her
gift.
Eleanor nodded approvingly. “She’s made several beautiful pieces already. Your grandmother has quite a talent.”
“Mom, I made this for Great–Grandma Clara,” Cora said, holding up a bracelet made of colorful beads. “Do you think she’ll like it?”
Cora’s face crumpled. “But Great–Grandma Ellie will be so disappointed!”
Elara’s stomach dropped. Antonelli’s was an exclusive restaurant downtown, one of Damien’s favorites.
Damien appeared from his home office, phone still in hand. “I’ve asked Sam to drive you both. He’s bringing the car around now.”
“It’s fine. We’ll manage,” she said quietly.
“I shall wear it right away,” Clara declared, slipping it onto her wrist. “It matches my outfit perfectly.”
“She’ll love it, sweetheart,” Elara replied, genuinely touched. “That was very thoughtful
of you.”
Elara wasn’t surprised. This was classic Damien – making promises had no intention of keeping, especially when it involved her family. She unbuckled her seatbelt, resigned to the familiar disappointment.
Damien patted her head awkwardly. “Behave for your mother.”
Elara sipped her tea silently, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over her. The conversation continued around her, but she found it increasingly difficult to follow. There was a dull ache forming behind her eyes, a familiar precursor to a migraine.
“Coco and I should get going soon,” she said, checking her watch. “I promised Grandmother we’d be there by six.”
154 A Family Visit, An Unsettling Revelation
They walked into the mansion, where Martha greeted them with a warm smile. Cora immediately raced upstairs to her room while Elara headed to the guest room where she kept some personal items.
“What?” Cora’s voice piped up from the back seat. “But Dad, you promised!”
“I was just showing Eleanor the new watercolor set you gave me,” Clara said to Elara. “The paints are exquisite.”
“Just a bit tired,” Elara admitted. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
“Are you feeling alright, Elara?” Clara asked suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. “You’ve gone quite pale.”
Damien loosened his tie with one hand. “Something came up at work. You’ll have to go without me.”
“At my grandmother’s. Why?”
Clara gestured to several small framed paintings on the side table. “Nothing special, just some garden scenes.”
“Excuse me,” she said, standing up. “I need to take this.”
“Perhaps they ran out of money,” Eleanor suggested. “Renovations that extensive can drain finances quickly.”
“No,” Elara said, struggling to keep her voice steady. “I’m with Cora. I can’t leave.”
While Cora basked in her great–grandmother’s praise, Eleanor approached Elara. “You look tired, dear. Are you sleeping well?”
Elara closed her eyes, feeling the familiar ache of betrayal. “Thank you for telling me.”
The transformation on Cora’s face was immediate. Her pout vanished, replaced by a hopeful smile. “Really? The one with the giant slides?”
Cora smiled shyly, then slipped her small hand into Elara’s. The unexpected affection made Elara’s heart ache with longing. These moments had become increasingly rare.
“I will.”
Eleanor was watching her carefully. “Yes, occasionally my son shows remarkable insight. Though I suspect he had help.”
154 A Family Visit, An Unsettling Revelation
“You work too hard,” Eleanor declared. “Just like my son. Always pushing yourselves to
exhaustion.”
“That’s odd,” she replied. “It looked like they were making good progress.”
“How thoughtful,” she managed to say.
“Elara.” Chloe’s voice was tense. “Where are you right now?”
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