To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 185

"Watch your mouth."

Elara slipped calmly out of Ryan's arms, completely unruffled.

"You should go first."

Ryan glanced at Nanette, who was glaring at him with barely contained fury. "Will you be okay?"

Elara tilted her head, a silent signal that said she could handle it. Ryan realized his presence would only make things worse, so he hurried off in the opposite direction.

"Running away now? You've got some nerve, don't you?" Nanette shouted after him. "Cowardly adulterer!"

She made a move to chase Ryan, but Elara stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Is chasing after men your favorite hobby?" Elara shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Nanette jabbed a finger in Elara's face. "My daughter Lina has kept herself pure for Brian, always holding onto her virtue. Meanwhile, you sit in the Vincent family's house as Mrs. Vincent and behave like a shameless tramp. Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree—no wonder you're such trash."

Instead of rising to the bait, Elara smiled coolly. "Trash? Oh, I wouldn't dare steal that title from you, Ms. Winters. After all, raising a daughter who's twenty-five and still trying to rope in a married man with her chastity—now that's a real accomplishment. If there's a patron saint of gold-digging, you're it."

"You bitch! I'll rip your mouth apart!"

Nanette shrieked, lunging at Elara with a raised hand.

But Elara caught her wrist mid-swing, shoved it away, and, without warning, grabbed Nanette by the collar and threw her to the ground.

Nanette crashed down hard, gasping in pain.

"You—"

Seeing Nanette's eyes well up, Elara's tone turned icy. "Does it hurt? That's funny. Remember the hospital? You threw me down just like this, Ms. Winters. Or have you forgotten already?"

Nanette froze, the memory flooding back—the day after Elara left the ICU, barging into her hospital room with her cronies. She finally realized Elara was getting even.

"Oh, everyone, look! This is how she treats her mother-in-law! I can't take it anymore!" Nanette wailed, putting on a show for the crowd, hoping to shame Elara with public outrage.

Elara clucked her tongue. "You're halfway to the grave, and still more worked up than the living. What—afraid you'll come back as something even lower in your next life?"

Clutching her chest, Nanette could barely speak, her hands and blouse stained with blood.

"Enough," Brian said, pulling Elara behind him and giving Yves Caldwell a meaningful look.

Yves quickly sent someone to call an ambulance.

Minutes later, Nanette was loaded onto a stretcher.

"No! I'm not leaving—I came for my husband, he hasn't come home yet—" She finally remembered her original purpose, but it was too late.

As the ambulance disappeared down the street, Elara turned to go, but Brian stopped her. "You're just leaving like that?"

Elara looked back, her eyes cold and distant. "I don't make a habit of spending the night at bars. Of course I'm leaving."