The Rose He Showed Off Is Putting Down Roots in a Garden of Her Own novel Chapter 2

But she had no choice. Life wasn't always smooth sailing, and no one got to do only what they loved. As long as she lived in this world, she had to face the unpleasant realities. So, Elara painted on a flawless smile, pretended not to notice the condescension, and powered through.

Desperate to save their collapsing real estate empire, Elara's younger sister, Vivian Vance, had sacrificed her reputation to become the kept woman of Gideon Grant, the ruthless second son of the Grant family. The scandal of Gideon parading her around at private parties had quickly spread through their elite circle, eventually reaching Julian's ears.

That was his family by marriage. To Julian, it was a direct slap to his own face.

He didn't take his anger out on Elara immediately, bottling it up until they visited the Vance estate for the holidays. Elara loved Julian and always managed an endless well of patience for him, but Vivian didn't share that sentiment. The Vance Group was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, yet her brother-in-law had stood by and watched them drown without lifting a finger. Vivian despised him for it.

When Julian finally let his temper slip and tried to lecture her, Vivian fired right back. She made it crystal clear: if he didn't consider himself part of the Vance family, he needed to keep his mouth shut and mind his own business.

Taking a dressing-down from Vivian left Julian with a thunderous expression. The second he and Elara were alone behind closed doors upstairs, he unleashed his fury.

"Does she honestly think sleeping with Gideon Grant is going to save the Vance Group?" Julian snapped. "Those projects are a dead weight. Cutting your losses is the only way out. There's a line of investors waiting to pick off the scraps, but your sister insists on practically giving it away to the Grant Group like some tragic martyr."

He scoffed bitterly. "I don't know if I should applaud Gideon for manipulating your father, or if this kind of sheer stupidity is just a genetic trait in your family."

The harsh reprimand left Elara's cheeks burning with humiliation.

Julian glanced at his beautiful but seemingly useless wife and sighed in heavy irritation. "Get out. I need to lie down."

Elara quietly stepped out of the bedroom and slipped into the guest bathroom. The moment the door clicked shut, she frantically grabbed a tissue, dabbing at the corners of her eyes to keep the tears from ruining her makeup and tipping off her family.

Thinking of her father, whose hair had turned entirely white in just the last couple of weeks, brought a fresh wave of moisture to her eyes. She felt utterly useless—unable to save her father's legacy and incapable of holding her marriage together.

On the outside, she was a picture of radiant perfection. On the inside, she was a complete failure.

What was she supposed to do?

Tears and despair were strictly reserved for the night, because when the sun came up, the charade had to continue. Julian was the heir to the Sterling empire, and the holiday season required them to make the rounds, visiting key politicians and industry titans. Elara applied her makeup with a steady hand, slipped into the latest designer dresses, and played the part of the perfect, adoring wife alongside her husband.

Their schedule brought them to the sprawling, historic estate of Mrs. Lowery, the governor's wife. The residence was packed with the city's elite. While the men congregated in the grand parlor to talk business, Elara was ushered into the private sitting room.

No matter how powerful the Sterlings were, the Vance family's public freefall made Elara an easy target. The snide remarks slipped through the cracks of every conversation. It was as if tearing her down validated their own success, giving them a fleeting sense of superiority.

Elara couldn't help but think that if Julian would just show her a little public solidarity, it would stop the vultures in their tracks. Unfortunately, he couldn't care less about idle gossip. All of his energy was devoted to expanding his empire.

That was until Elara caught sight of her husband across the room, smiling brightly as he showered compliments on the sophisticated daughter of a recently returned cabinet minister. A piece of her heart silently shattered.

He was perfectly capable of being charming and attentive—just not to her.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify