My Boss’s Hidden Heir (Elara and Marcus) novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The car weaved through midtown traffic, and Elara stared out the window at boutiques she’d never been able to afford.

Marcus might be right about the makeover.

The thought stung, but it was true. She didn’t take care of herself. Not really. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. She loved the idea of spa days and salon appointments and getting her nails done like the women she saw in magazines. But wanting something and affording it were two very different things.

The last time she’d been to a proper salon was over a year ago. Since then, it had been DIY haircuts in her bathroom mirror and throwing her hair into whatever rough bun would hold for a twelve–hour workday. Makeup was drugstore concealer and mascara when she remembered. Clothes were whatever still fit from three years ago.

When Marcus had told her about the appointment, something childlike and giddy had sparked in her chest. She’d tried to hide it. Tried to act like it was just another task on the to–do list.

But God, she was excited.

The car pulled up to a building on Fifth Avenue. Glass doors. Marble floors. The kind of place that screamed expensive before you even walked inside.

Elara paid the driver and stepped onto the sidewalk.

Here goes nothing.

The salon was on the third floor. She rode the elevator up, watching the numbers climb, and tried not to think about how out of place she was about to feel.

The doors opened to soft music and the smell of something floral. Lavender, maybe. Or jasmine.

“Elara Vance?”

A woman in all black approached, clipboard in hand. She was impossibly put together. Hair in a sleek ponytail. Skin that

looked airbrushed.

“That’s me.”

“Perfect. We’ve been expecting you.” The woman smiled. “Mr. Thorne’s assistant called ahead. We have you booked for the full treatment. Hair, nails, brows, lashes. Should take about four hours.”

Four hours.

Elara followed her through the salon. Past stations where other women sat getting their hair styled. Past shelves lined with products she couldn’t pronounce.

They stopped at a private room in the back. Soft lighting. A leather chair that looked more comfortable than her bed. A

table with tea and small pastries arranged like art.

“Have a seat. Your stylist will be right in.”

1/5

19:52 Thu, 30 Apr G

Chapter 12

Elara sat and tried not to touch anything.

76%

65 vouchers

The stylist arrived five minutes later. A man in his forties with kind eyes and hands that moved like he was conducting an

orchestra.

“Elara, darling.” He circled her chair, studying her from every angle. “Oh, we have so much to work with. Look at these cheekbones. And your skin? Flawless. Absolutely flawless.”

She felt her face heat. “Thank you.”

“When was the last time you had your hair done professionally?”

“About a year ago.”

He gasped like she’d confessed to a crime. “A year? No, no, no. We’re fixing that today.” He ran his fingers through her hair, lifting sections, examining the ends. “You have gorgeous hair. Thick. Healthy. Just needs some love.”

For the next two hours, Elara sat in that chair while he worked. Washing. Cutting. Styling. She closed her eyes and let

herself enjoy it. The feeling of someone else’s hands in her hair. The scalp massage that made her want to fall asleep. The

way he talked to her like they were old friends.

“So,” he said, trimming carefully. “Mr. Thorne is your fiancé?”

Word traveled fast.

“Yes.”

“Lucky girl. He’s gorgeous. And rich.” He grinned at her in the mirror. “But I’m sure you love him for his personality.”

Elara forced a smile. “Of course.”

“How long have you two been together?”

“A while. We kept it quiet.”

“Smart. Office romances can be tricky.” He stepped back, examining his work. “There. Perfect.”

She looked in the mirror.

Her hair fell in soft waves past her shoulders. Longer than she’d worn it in years. Shiny. Healthy. It didn’t look like her hair. It looked like someone else’s. Someone who had time and money and didn’t spend every night too exhausted to care.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

“You’re beautiful, darling. I just helped you see it.”

Next came nails. A woman with steady hands painted them a soft nude color. Nothing dramatic. Just clean and polished.

Then brows. Shaped and tinted until they framed her face properly.

Then lashes. Extensions that made her eyes look bigger. More awake.

2/5

19:52 Thu, 30 Apr G C

Chapter 12

76%%

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify