My Boss's Hidden Heir (Elara and Marcus) novel Chapter 158

Elara’s POV

56 vaher

The penthouse felt different tonight. Quieter somehow, like the whole building was holding its breath waiting for tomorrow.

Elara stood by the bedroom window looking out at the city lights while Marcus moved around behind her, packing documents into his briefcase for the shareholder meeting. She could hear the rustle of papers, the click of his laptop closing, the soft exhale of frustration when something didn’t fit quite right.

“Come to bed,” she said without turning around.

“I need to go through these files one more time. Make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

“Marcus. Come to bed.”

This time he listened. Elara heard the briefcase close, heard his footsteps crossing the room. His arms wrapped around her from behind, his hands settling gently on her stomach.

“How are you feeling?” he asked quietly, rubbing her stomach.

“Terrified. Exhausted. Ready for all of this to be over.”

“Tomorrow it will be. One way or another.”

Elara turned in his arms to face him. Marcus looked tired, the stress of the past weeks visible in the lines around his eyes and the tension in his jaw. But underneath it all she could see determination, resolve, the same strength that had first attracted her to him.

“Whatever happens tomorrow,” she said, “we survive it together. You know that, right?”

“I know. But I keep thinking about everything that could go wrong. What if the board doesn’t believe us about Penelope? What if they think we’re just trying to deflect from the other scandals?”

“Then we deal with it. We find another way. But Marcus, you can’t go into that meeting already defeated. Penelope wants you scared and off balance. Don’t give her that.”

Marcus pulled her closer, careful of her belly, and rested his forehead against hers. “When did you get so wise?”

“I’ve always been wise, shush now. You were just too distracted by my devastating beauty to notice.”

He laughed and the sound made Elara’s chest ache. When was the last time she’d heard him laugh? Really laugh, not the bitter ironic sound he’d been making lately but actual joy?

“I love you,” Marcus said softly. “I don’t say it enough but I do. You and these babies are everything to me.”

“I love you too. Even when you’re being an idiot about ex-girlfriends and evil stepmothers.”

17:02 Mon, May 11 M…

Chapter 158

“Especially then?”

“Especially then.”

:

Marcus kissed her and Elara felt some of the tension leave his body. His lips were gentle against hers, asking rather than demanding, and she melted into him.

“Come on,” she whispered against his mouth. “Bed. Now.”

They moved to the bed together, Marcus helping her lie down because getting horizontal was getting harder every day with the weight of the twins. He stretched out beside her and just looked at her for a long moment.

“What?” Elara asked.

“Just memorizing this. You. Here. Safe. Before everything changes tomorrow.”

“Nothing’s going to change. We’re still going to be us and safe.”

“I hope so.”

Marcus’s hand traced slowly down her side, over the curve of her hip, and Elara shivered. It had been weeks since they’d been intimate, both of them too stressed and worried to think about anything beyond survival.

But tonight felt different. Like they both needed the connection, the reminder that underneath all the chaos they still had this.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify