Chapter 291 Morning Chaos
Elara
When I finally woke up from my pregnancy nap, the clock showed it was already noon.
I stretched out in our king-size bed, feeling surprisingly well-rested for once.
I reached for my phone on the nightstand and saw a bunch of missed calls from Hannah. Three of them.
Plus a text that just said: “CALL ME. IT’S IMPORTANT.”
Typical Hannah .Everything was always urgent with her.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Elara! Oh my god, you finally picked up! I need to drop off my wedding invitation.”
“I’m getting married at the end of the month! “
I smiled, curling up against the pillows. “That’s amazing! Come over whenever. I actually already have your wedding gift ready. “
I’d asked Dominic to snag a vintage Cartier necklace for me at a Sotheby’s auction weeks ago. I’d been low-key planning her wedding gift for months.
“Wait, you already got me something? Girl, I love you so much! I’m driving over right now! “
When Hannah arrived and saw the vintage Cartier necklace in its velvet box, she literally started tearing up.
“Holy shit, Elara! This is way too much! “
I waved her off. “I just thought it would look amazing on you. It’s from the designer’s final collection before he retired. I thought it had sentimental value, you know? ”
“Do you love it? ” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Love it? I’m literally obsessed! This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me. ” She clutched the box to her chest like a toddler with a stuffed animal. “Meanwhile Xavier hasn’t even bought me earrings. That emotionally unavailable ass.”
I snorted. “He’s not that bad.”
“He’s not that good either,” she shot back, but there was no real bite in it.
“Elara, if I come back as a guy in my next life, I’m totally marrying you. Everyone else can kick rocks. “
I burst out laughing, nearly choking on air. “Okay, noted. I’ll hold you to that.”
I leaned back, letting my head rest against the couch cushion. “Xavier can’t be that cheap, right? Didn’t he buy you guys that beach house in Malibu? “
“That’s different! That’s like… practical stuff. I’m talking about romantic gestures. Like, I don’t know, surprise flowers. A handwritten note. Not a whole-ass house. That’s just adulting with extra zeros. “
I tilted my head, studying her. “So what’s really going on?”
She sighed, deflating a little. The necklace box rested in her lap now, and she traced the velvet edge with her finger. “Besides, we’re basically glorified roommates right now. Xavier and I don’t have some epic love story like you’re imagining.”
“Hannah.” I said her name softly, reaching out to touch her knee. “You’re about to marry him. That means something. You don’t have to have some fairy tale to have a real marriage.”
She looked up at me, and for a second, she seemed younger. Vulnerable.
Then she shook it off and smiled.
I rolled my eyes. “Hannah, don’t be such a drama queen. Once you’re married, you actually need to talk to the guy. Communication is like eighty percent of it. The other twenty is remembering to buy toilet paper before you run out. “
Hannah stuck her tongue out. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You sound like a self-help book. A very pregnant one. “
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Anyway, forget about my mess. ” She waved a hand, shooing away the serious mood. “Your husband was absolutely savage this morning! His press conference was pure fire. So damn brutal.”
I frowned. My hand paused mid-reach for my water glass. “Wait, what press conference?”
“You don’t know? Girl, someone leaked photos of you and Zack together. People started running their mouths online. “
“Then Dominic called an emergency press conference at eight this morning and literally tore some reporter a new one. Called the guy a complete idiot to his face. “
My stomach dropped.
After Hannah left, I immediately speed-dialed Dominic.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me about the press conference this morning? “
Dominic’s deep chuckle came through the phone. “You found out? Those attention-seeking losers aren’t worth your time. “
“Don’t stress about their bullshit, baby. The world could be ending and your husband would handle it. “
I didn’t know whether to laugh or smack him.
I scrolled through Twitter and found Susan trending. My eyes narrowed.
“Did you orchestrate that whole Susan thing? ” I asked straight up.
“Damn right I did. I’m not turning the other cheek when someone comes for my wife. “
Dominic was fiercely protective, but he definitely wasn’t a pushover.
“I had no idea her husband was such a piece of work. She’s probably got way bigger problems than messing with you now. “
“Got it, ” I said, secretly impressed by how ruthless my mate could be when it came to protecting our family.