To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 194

Elara calmly disentangled herself from Ryan's embrace, her voice icy and devoid of warmth.

"Ms. Winters, your sense of right and wrong is unlike most people's. You'd do well to worry about yourself."

As she spoke, she unclasped the necklace around her neck. A closer look revealed the pendant was actually a tiny camera.

Nanette's face drained of color in an instant.

"The police may not be able to get in here, but they'll see this footage. Hiring thugs to kidnap, assault, and coerce women into prostitution—those charges carry a much heavier sentence than slander. Maybe you should start getting used to chemotherapy in a prison ward, Ms. Winters."

"You set me up again—"

Nanette lunged, trying to snatch the necklace from Elara's hand.

Brian grabbed Nanette and, growing impatient, tossed her back against the wall.

Nanette crumpled to the floor and couldn't get up. She started sobbing.

"If I go to jail, Lina will fall apart. Her depression will come back…"

But Brian acted as if he hadn't heard her at all. He turned to Elara. "If you wanted me here, why call the cops?"

Ryan was the one who'd called 911, but Elara lifted her chin. "So I'm just supposed to let her harass me forever?"

Brian clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth.

Outside, the wail of sirens grew louder. Yves Caldwell hurried in, whispering, "Mr. Ellis slipped out the back just now."

Brian's brow furrowed. He told Elara, "I'll have someone take you home. Don't come to places like this again."

Elara was about to reply when Ryan suddenly began to tremble violently.

She called his name and rushed to steady him.

Ink.

Brian was hit by a sudden memory: after Elara was once locked in a dark room and developed a high fever, she'd lay in bed, delirious, calling out "Brian" over and over. He'd convinced himself she was crying for him out of love, and so he'd kept neglecting her while caring for Lina, believing Elara would always be there.

Only now did he realize—she'd never been calling for him. She'd been calling for Ryan.

She'd never gotten the name wrong.

"Mr. Vincent…" Yves Caldwell prompted gently.

A slow, gnawing ache crept into Brian's chest. He glanced at Elara, who was now hovering anxiously over Ryan, and signaled to two people to stay and help her. Then he left.

With Elara's video evidence in hand, the police stormed into The Serpentine Club, sending the place into chaos.

Afterward, the doctor prescribed some medication to reduce bruising and inflammation.

"Will someone help you apply it when you get home?" Elara asked.

Ryan took the medicine. "It's nothing serious. But you—the Vincent family is ruthless. If I hadn't happened to see you being dragged into that car today…"

Elara cut him off. "I was on my way to Celestial River Estates. You're sure you just happened to be passing by?"

Ryan fell silent.

Elara sat down beside him. "Grandfather's coming in for a follow-up at the hospital in a few days."

Ryan lowered his gaze, absently rubbing the edge of the pillbox.

Elara had always wondered about his disappearance.

"Why did you leave four years ago—"

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.

Gareth stormed in, face thunderous, and reached for Elara's wrist.

"Come on. We're going to the station. Drop the charges and get my wife out. Now!"