66 An Icy Encounter and a Bitter Truth
Elara’s heart pounded as she waited for Damien’s response. The silence on the other end of the line stretched uncomfortably.
“He said he’s busy right now,” Cora finally reported, her voice dropping with
disappointment.
Elara’s grip on her phone tightened. Of course he was busy. Too busy to speak with his soon–to–be ex–wife, even for a moment.
“That’s fine,” she replied coolly. “I need to get back to work anyway.”
“Okay,” Cora said. “Bye, Mom.”
“Goodbye, sweetheart. I love you.”
But Cora had already hung up. Elara stared at her phone screen, a familiar ache blooming in her chest. She set the device down and turned back to her computer, throwing herself into her work with renewed determination.
Over the next few days, Elara continued working from home. Julian visited daily, bringing files, takeout food, and much–needed companionship. They spent long hours: refining their project, ignoring Zachary’s increasingly critical emails.
He’s just looking for reasons to reject our proposal, Julian muttered one evening, reading Zachary’s latest message. “These so–called ‘concerns‘ are ridiculous.”
Elara nodded, massaging her temples. “We’ve addressed every technical issue twice over. At this point, he’s just being difficult because he can be.”
Julian closed his laptop with a snap. “Let’s call it a night. Your ankle seems better. Will you be coming to the office tomorrow?”
Elara tested her weight on her injured ankle. The pain had subsided to a dull ache. “Yes, I think I’m ready. I can’t hide out here forever.”
The next morning, Elara arrived at YodaVision’s headquarters early. The familiar buzz of activity greeted her as she made her way to her office, nodding hello to colleagues who welcomed her back.
She had barely settled at her desk when Julian appeared in her doorway, an unusual
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smile playing on his lips.
“What?” she asked, immediately suspicious.
“I have news,” he said, stepping inside and closing the door. “Damien’s private tech company wants to collaborate with us.”
Elara blinked in surprise. “What? When did this happen?”
“His technical director, Henry Quinn, reached out yesterday afternoon. They’re interested in our Al language processing capabilities.”
“And you didn’t tell me this last night because…?”
Julian shrugged. “I wanted to confirm it was legitimate first. Henry’s scheduled to come in at ten for preliminary discussions.”
Elara glanced at the clock–8:30 AM. She had less than two hours to prepare.
“Do you want to lead the meeting?” Julian asked carefully.
“No,” Elara replied quickly, perhaps too quickly. “This is your area of expertise. I’ll support from the sidelines.”
At precisely ten o’clock, Henry Quinn arrived. Tall and lanky with wire–rimmed glasses, he looked every bit the brilliant technical mind Elara had heard he was. She and Julian welcomed him into the conference room.
“Ms. Vance, Mr. Croft,” Henry greeted them warmly. “Thank you for meeting with me
on such short notice.”
The initial discussions went better than Elara had expected. Henry was sharp, knowledgeable, and genuinely interested in their technology. He asked insightful questions and seemed impressed by their answers.
“I think there’s definitely potential for collaboration here,” Henry concluded after two hours. “Your Al comprehension algorithms could complement our security systems perfectly.”
Julian nodded enthusiastically. “We’d be happy to work with your team on this.”
“Excellent,” Henry smiled, checking his watch. “Would you mind if we continue this over lunch? I’m starving.”/
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They agreed, and Julian suggested a nearby restaurant known for its business–friendly atmosphere. The three of them walked the short distance, continuing their technical discussion along the way.
The restaurant was bustling when they arrived. The hostess led them to a table near the center of the room, and they had just settled in when the main door opened.
Elara froze mid–sentence as Damien Thorne walked in, his tall figure commanding attention. Beside him stood Vivienne, stunning in a formfitting dress that highlighted her perfect curves. They made a striking couple–powerful, beautiful, and completely
in sync.
Henry noticed them immediately. “Oh, Mr. Thorne! What a coincidence.” He waved them over enthusiastically.
Elara’s stomach clenched. She exchanged a quick glance with Julian, who looked equally uncomfortable.
Damien and Vivienne approached their table. Henry stood to shake Damien’s hand, beaming like an excited puppy.
“Sir, I was just having a productive meeting with YodaVision about the potential collaboration we discussed.”
Damien nodded curtly. His eyes briefly scanned the table, resting momentarily on Julian but completely skipping over Elara as if she were invisible.
“Good,” he said simply.
Julian stood, ever the professional. “Mr. Thorne, good to see you again.” He nodded politely at Vivienne. “Ms. Dubois.”
Vivienne smiled, her perfect lips curving upward. “Julian.” Her eyes slid to Elara, a flash of triumph visible before she masked it with practiced indifference.
Elara remained seated, her face carefully blank. She refused to show how much this casual dismissal from Damien hurt, especially in front of Vivienne. 1
“Would you like to join us?” Julian offered, though Elara knew he was only being polite.
“No, thank you,” Damien replied coolly. “We’re here on a personal outing.” His hand. moved to the small of Vivienne’s back, a possessive gesture that didn’t escape Elara’s
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“Perhaps another time,” Vivienne added smoothly, leaning slightly into Damien’s touch.
Henry looked disappointed but nodded. “Of course, sir. Enjoy your lunch.”
The hostess appeared to escort Damien and Vivienne to a private booth in the corner. As they walked away, Elara couldn’t help but notice how Damien leaned down to whisper something in Vivienne’s car, making her laugh softly.
“Shall we order?” Julian asked briskly, drawing Elara’s attention back to their table. She was grateful for his tact.
The lunch continued, but Elara found it difficult to focus. Her eyes kept drifting to the corner where Damien and Vivienne sat, heads close together in intimate conversation. She forced herself to engage with Henry’s detailed questions about their technology, but her responses lacked her usual sharpness.
By the time they finished their meal, Damien and Vivienne had already left. Elara felt a mix of relief and lingering humiliation. Being ignored so completely had stung more
than she cared to admit.
As they walked back to the office, Henry excused himself to take a call, leaving Elara and Julian momentarily alone.
Julian leaned closer to her, his voice low. “You okay?”
“Fine,” she answered automatically.
“He’s an ass,” Julian muttered.
Elara shook her head slightly. “Let’s just focus on the work.”
They continued in silence for a few steps before Julian spoke again, his voice careful
and measured.
“There’s something you should know,” he said. “I didn’t want to mention it earlier, but with what just happened…” He hesitated.
“What is it?” Elara asked, a sense of dread building.
“The Dubois family has secured several major projects in Baumond recently” Julian explained. “Word is that Damien put his full support behind them, leveraging his
connections to ensure their success.”
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Elara felt a coldness settle in her chest. During their marriage, Damien had never once used his influence to help her career. He’d kept their professional lives strictly separate, refusing to even visit her at work. Yet here he was, actively promoting Vivienne’s family business.
“I see, she murmured softly, her voice barely audible over the street noise.
The message was crystal clear: Vivienne wasn’t just a passing fancy. Damien was fully invested in her, in ways he’d never been with Elara. The bitter truth settled like a stone in her stomach as they walked back to the office, Henry chattering obliviously about technical specifications behind them.
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