Jelena clutched her glass, her hands trembling as she sipped it. "After I got off the plane yesterday, I got a call from a friend inviting me to a masquerade ball. You know, it was a sort of welcome-back shindig. So, I went. And Fredric was also there, decked out like Batman. I had left his company, so we just made small talk, nothing more. I hung out with my friends for a bit, had a few drinks, and then, all of a sudden, I started feeling sick. I decided to leave early. I'm not sure if I was drunk or what, but when I got to the parking lot, everything started to blur. I called for a ride share, and when a car that looked like mine stopped, I got in without a second thought. It turned out Batman was in the driver's seat."
She paused, burying her head in her knees.
Aurelia grabbed a blanket and gently covered Jelena with it. "That Batman was Fredric, right?"
Jelena nodded. "I completely blacked out after that. When I woke up the next morning, Fredric was lying beside me..."
She was in agony, her body aching so much that even walking was a challenge.
Aurelia figured it out. The bastard Fredric had taken advantage of Jelena while she was drunk.
"I'm going to give Fredric a piece of my mind and get some justice for you."
The Stirling family had its own rules. Multiple partners might fly, but assault and abduction were absolute no-nos.
As the matriarch of the Stirling family, she had the right to enforce family law.
The doorbell rang when she stood up from the couch, ready to leave. The nanny checked the security feed. "It's Mr. Fredric. Should I let him in?"
Aurelia rolled up her sleeves, ready for a confrontation. Fate was delivering the culprit right to her doorstep.
"Jelena, you go back to your room. I've got this."
The last thing Jelena needed was to face that scoundrel.
Jelena nodded, using the wall for support as she limped back to her room.
Aurelia told the nanny to step aside, and she opened the door herself.
"I had no idea it was Jelena. When I realized I was drugged, I left straight away. In the parking lot, a woman got into my car." He clutched his throbbing forehead. "You have no idea. After a man gets hit with that stuff, he loses control and gets all messed up. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized that woman was Jelena."
He massaged his temples. "I've always been a charmer but never a sleaze. I promised Jelena that I wouldn't touch her if I couldn't marry her. I'm not about to break my word."
There was a hint of an old flame between the lines.
So, there had been something between him and Jelena, or at least he had pursued her.
Aurelia huffed softly. No matter what, she couldn't let Jelena suffer for nothing. Jelena was family, and she had to stand by Jelena and back her up.
"No matter what, you owe Jelena an explanation. You can't just walk away from this."
With a solemn expression, Fredric looked up and declared, "I’ll give her whatever she wants."
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