She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 870

"Ah, I see. So the engagement is... a business marriage?"

Preston nodded firmly.

"She's engaged to Alistair Davenport. The Davenport Group is a massive real estate giant dominating both Quarevia and Palisadia. Their influence is staggering. Sure... Alistair is much older than Elara, but these kinds of transactional marriages are incredibly common in our circles."

Melanie went quiet.

Elite families trading their children like corporate assets was nothing new.

Power married power, and age was rarely a factor.

But...

She was genuinely shocked that Elara had agreed to it.

Even if Elara's feelings for Preston had curdled into pure hatred.

She had undeniably loved him once.

That love was the root of her obsession and her thirst for revenge.

"Now that she has a fiancé, I doubt she'll waste any more time obsessing over me."

Although Preston sounded confident, a seed of doubt lingered in Melanie's mind.

Would a ring on her finger really be enough to make Elara Bennett let go of her vendetta?

The unease still clawed at her as she and Preston continued down the street.

At the far end of the alley, a parallel road stretched into the distance.

Elara Bennett was flanked by two massive men in black suits, guiding her toward a sleek Maybach.

They weren't Bennett security guards.

"Ms. Bennett, please get in."

Though one of the men opened the door for her, his voice was cold and strictly professional.

Elara froze by the open door, her feet refusing to move.

"Ms. Bennett. Get in."

The other guard repeated the demand, impatience bleeding into his tone.

Because they were operating under direct orders to deliver her to Alistair Davenport.

Her brand-new fiancé.

Alistair was much older than her, his face thick with flesh, his body heavy, and his hair thinning out.

When the arrangement was first proposed, Elara had threatened to end her own life rather than marry him.

Her parents hadn't flinched.

They coldly informed her that if the Bennett family failed to reclaim their status, her life on the streets would be infinitely worse than sharing a bed with Alistair.

They instructed her to become his perfect fiancé, leverage the Davenport Group's endless capital, and resurrect their empire. Once they were back on top of the Quarevian elite, she could simply break the engagement.

Weighing her options, Elara had choked down her pride and agreed.

She had fully intended to drain his resources and dump him the second she didn't need him anymore.

She just hadn't accounted for his complete lack of patience.

On the very day their engagement was finalized, Alistair had his bodyguards drag her into a hotel room, where he brutally took her.