Second Vows Adored by the Billionaire novel Chapter 6

A bitter smile crossed Eloise's face. Her voice was barely audible as her nails bit into her palms. "Fine. Whatever you say."

Inside her mind, a single thought settled with chilling clarity. There are only twenty-five days left.

Twenty-five days. That's all that's left.

You want the house? The man? The company? You can have it all.

Let's see how well you handle my "generous gift," Anita.

*****

Back in the bedroom at home, Eloise felt cold to the bone.

She could barely stand.

With the last of her strength, she unlocked a drawer that had been sealed for years.

When it opened, memories spilled out.

A heart-shaped pebble from their first beach trip.

A faded postcard of the Eiffel Tower from their trip to Paris.

An old vinyl record from a band they'd discovered together.

A silver chain Victor had nervously given her for their first Christmas...

And there was a bundle of love letters tied neatly with ribbon, all from Victor.

She had treasured and carefully preserved every item.

Now, after what she had seen, they felt hollow and absurd, like props in a poorly constructed lie.

Fake.

All five years had been fake.

There was no reason to keep any of it.

Without expression, Eloise swept everything into the trash.

Her vision spun violently, her temples throbbing as though they might split open.

A while later, she changed her clothes and collapsed onto the bed.

The next second, the door slammed open with force.

Beatrice burst in, wearing a pink tulle dress, and rushed straight to the bedside, grabbing Eloise's arm and shaking it eagerly.

"Auntie Eloise, get up and play horse with me, just like before! I wanna be a knight!"

Her face was flushed with excitement.

The memory hit Eloise suddenly—a few months back, their first night in the new house.

She'd been so caught up in the dream of being part of a family. She'd doted on Beatrice like her own daughter, dropping to her hands and knees on the carpet without a second thought, letting the girl climb onto her back.

Beatrice had laughed joyfully. Anita's laughter, now recalled, sounded unbearably sharp. And Eloise had been oblivious, even willing.

The thought that she had once genuinely considered adopting Beatrice made nausea surge violently up her throat.

Eloise forced herself upright and looked steadily at her.

"Beatrice," she asked hoarsely, "have I been good to you?"

"Yes!" Beatrice nodded vigorously. "You're the best!"

Then she added brightly, "I wish you could be my real mommy!"

Eloise struggled to steady herself, pretending to be confused.

"Daddy!" Beatrice sobbed, clinging to him like a lifeline. She pointed at Eloise with a trembling finger. "Auntie doesn't want me anymore! She said I can't be her daughter, and then she shoved me. I fell so hard..."

Victor lifted Beatrice into his arms. His gaze turned to Eloise, sharp and cold.

"Is that what happened?"

Eloise leaned weakly against the headboard, her eyes reddening as she met his stare.

Victor seemed to realize something. His tone softened slightly, though he did not release Beatrice.

"I'll take her out first," he said. "Don't worry. I'll come back soon and stay with you."

He turned and left with the crying child in his arms.

The room fell into dead silence.

Eloise sank back into the pillow, strength draining from her limbs. Then it hit her.

The dizziness worsened, rolling through her in heavy waves. Her anemia—when had it started? Three years ago. Right after Anita came back from maternity leave with Beatrice.

Back then, she'd been fainting all the time for no clear reason. Victor had been so concerned, insisting she take time off to recover.

She and Anita had been friends then. Good friends. Before stepping down as VP, Eloise had trained her personally, made sure she knew everything, ensured she could handle Victor's needs completely.

She'd never questioned it. Not once.

But now... now something didn't add up.

She called Gregory immediately.

"Gregory," she said quietly, "the hospital still has samples from my previous tests. Have them sent for a more thorough analysis."

"Understood. I'll take care of it."