To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 213

Elara gripped the edge of the sink, trying to steady herself.

From outside, Brian’s voice rumbled, low and commanding.

“Let go.”

It sounded like Ingrid had been pushed aside, but she was just as quick to cling to him again.

“Your stepsister says you and your wife are almost divorced. Honestly, you’re better off without that cold, boring woman. Why not try someone like me?”

Their voices drew nearer with every word.

Panic flickered through Elara. She clung to the porcelain and glanced around, unsure where she could possibly hide.

Suddenly, Zane darted forward. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to his side.

A decorative screen separated the bathroom from the hallway beyond.

In the shifting light and shadows, Brian stepped in from one side of the screen, while Zane, with his arm wrapped firmly around Elara’s waist, slipped them both out the other.

Ingrid, ever the opportunist, drew Brian’s attention at just the right moment—combined with Zane’s broad frame blocking the view, their escape was flawless.

But Zane didn’t lead her far. The very moment they exited the restroom, he pinned Elara gently against the cool wall of the corridor. His palm cradled the back of her head to keep her from hitting the hard surface.

A crisp scent of cedarwood drifted from his sleeve, curling into her senses, winding tighter with every breath.

Elara’s mind spun. Instinctively, she pressed a hand to his chest, voice barely above a whisper.

“Let me go…”

Zane chuckled quietly against her ear, his fingertips brushing over the rapid pulse at her wrist before closing gently around it.

“Don’t you want to know what happens next?”

She glared up at him. Thirty-something years old and he gossiped like some old lady on a park bench, eyes lighting up at the slightest hint of drama—what on earth was wrong with him?

Back inside, Ingrid wasn’t giving up.

Just as Brian was about to head into the men’s room, Ingrid grabbed him by the tie and pulled him back.

“Mr. Vincent, I know exactly why you’re looking for my father. About the new generation of electric truck batteries—I’ll tell you a secret…”

She tugged him closer by his tie, her red lips brushing near his.

Brian didn’t push her away.

“If we teamed up, from the lab to the bedroom… I guarantee you wouldn’t be able to get enough.”

Listening from the hallway, Elara almost wanted to accept Ingrid’s “offer” on Brian’s behalf.

After all, their own marriage had been passionless and rare, every encounter as stiff and formulaic as a set of instructions.

A woman like Ingrid could give him both groundbreaking technology and the kind of wild desire he seemed to crave. From any angle, it was a deal with nothing to lose.

If he didn’t file for divorce now, what was he waiting for?

Lost in thought, Elara pressed her lips into a thin line, completely unaware that her shifting expression had caught Zane’s attention.

Just then, the door to a private dining room at the end of the hall swung open. Gregory’s voice echoed out,

“Where’s Mr. Lawrence? He’s been gone forever!”

Elara’s heart skipped. Before she could even react, Zane’s arm tightened around her waist—he lifted her in one swift move and ducked them both into the stairwell next door.

This time, Elara landed flush against him, every inch of her pressed tightly to his body.

She’d been in his arms more than once, but the fact that she was still a married woman hovered between them like a warning. The moment her feet touched the floor, she jolted away from him as if she’d been shocked.