To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 272

"You troublemaker, what are you trying to do to Brian now?"

As Ingrid spat the words, she lunged at Elara, but Brian yanked her back before she could get close.

He gripped Ingrid’s wrist tightly, his gaze fixed coldly on Elara. A mocking smile played at the corner of his mouth.

“When you actually have the guts, then feel free to stand in front of me and make threats. Mrs. Vincent, I have no problem telling everyone—without me, you’re nothing.”

With that, he pulled the still-fuming Ingrid away and left.

Elara stood alone on the sidewalk, half-closing her eyes as she watched the Maybach roar off into the distance.

A little farther down the street, in the backseat of a black Lincoln, Quincy Shelton turned from the window and addressed the man behind him. “Sir, do you want me to go over and say something?”

Zane didn’t even look up from his paperwork. “No need. If she ever needs help, she’ll ask. Besides, there are some roads she has to walk on her own.”

Quincy caught the unyielding note in his boss’s voice—the kind that meant “don’t give someone hope if you don’t mean it.” He let the subject drop and quietly rolled the window back up.

That night, a piece of news exploded across social media.

Elara, in her capacity as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Vincent family, posted an official statement: she and Brian were in the process of divorce. She accused him publicly of repeated infidelity and disgraceful behavior that had brought her nothing but humiliation, and stated she was ending the marriage of her own volition.

At the end of her statement, she openly questioned why Ingrid, who’d been caught purchasing illegal drugs with intent to harm, had been released without consequences.

Elara’s pre-emptive strike sent shockwaves through the city—few people slept well that night.

Brian saw the news but wasn’t the least bit surprised. In fact, a faint smile tugged at his lips as he ordered Yves Caldwell, “Let it stay up all night. We’ll take it down in the morning.”

Yves stared at him, baffled. “Mr. Vincent, she just called you her ‘discarded husband’ in front of the whole world. Isn’t this going to ruin your reputation?”

Brian just smiled, offering no explanation.

“But, sir,” Yves pressed, growing anxious, “Professor Goldsmith called earlier. He wants you to hold a press conference tomorrow to announce your engagement to his daughter. If you don’t, he’s threatening to have Hayden Everly turn down our contract. What should we do?”

…

The next morning, when Elara woke up, the news was already gone from the trending list.

As expected. It didn’t surprise her, nor did it affect her mood.

He winced, rubbing his back. “Yeah, I was out of line last time. But I got my beating, so… we’re even?”

Elara arched an eyebrow. “Even? I wasn’t the one who hit you. Unless… you want to call me ‘Dad’?”

Jason snorted. “You’re impossible. Get lost.”

Elara shot him a crooked smile and headed for the elevator.

She’d barely taken a few steps when, out of nowhere, several figures sprang at her from a side stairwell.

One of them clamped a hand over her mouth and yanked her roughly toward the stairwell.

She struggled, but someone jabbed a stun gun into her side. Agonizing jolts shot down her legs, and her body went limp as they dragged her up toward the roof.

Jason tried to follow, but his assistant jumped in front of him.

“Mr. Lawrence, you already lost a major deal because of her. Isn’t that enough? Let’s stay out of Mrs. Vincent’s business, all right?”