To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 56

"Do you really see yourself as my property?"

Elara edged backward until she was at a safe distance, smoothing out her rumpled clothes with deliberate, steady hands.

"Maybe I'm not even that," she replied, meeting his gaze without flinching. "But at the very least, I'm a person—I can speak, I can think. If you have to use me, the least you could do is show a bit of respect. I'd appreciate that much."

Brian's lips pressed into a hard, thin line, the depths of his eyes unreadable.

Elara didn't bother trying to decipher what he was thinking anymore.

She was tired. She sank into a chair by the table, took out her medication, and, following the instructions, swallowed the pills one by one.

Finally, she reached for a bottle of eyedrops.

"I'll do it," Brian said.

"No need," Elara replied, but Brian had already snatched the eyedrops from her hand. He pulled her into his arms, holding her still as he tipped her head back to administer the drops.

Elara had no choice but to tilt her neck and let him.

This close, the bruises circling her throat became impossible for Brian to ignore—angry red, already blooming dark at the edges.

He reached out, fingers brushing her neck, but Elara jerked away as if burned.

Brian's hand froze midair. He steadied his voice. "There was an explosion at the studio. The police are investigating. They'll need you to give a statement."

Elara touched her neck—now that her eyesight had returned, she could see the bruises as clearly as she could feel them. They were a deep, ugly red, sure to take days to fade.

"What's the point? It's just another accident, right?"

She didn't need an investigation to tell her how it would end—just like at the bakery, nothing would come of it, whether she gave her statement or not.

The resignation in her voice was like a dull blade carving a raw line right across Brian's heart.

Elara rose to leave, but Brian pulled her back into his arms.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I didn't just leave you there. The bodyguards were assigned to protect Lina. My job was to protect you. When I rushed back to the dressing room, you were already gone."

"Oh. Thank you."

Hearing this, Elara suddenly looked up. "Do you really think a promise not to divorce me is supposed to make me feel secure?"

Brian frowned.

"I have no family, no one to back me up. The only reason anyone calls me Mrs. Vincent is because of your affection. If you stop loving me one day, I'm left with nothing. Your promises—they're as empty as all the other assurances you've given me. You say them, and then they're gone."

Brian understood now—she needed something she could actually hold onto, something real.

"So what do you want? The house? Shares in the company?"

He wasn't mocking her or showing off his wealth—he meant it. He had no plans to marry anyone else in his life. She was his wife; even giving her company shares wasn't unreasonable, let alone anything else.

But Elara quietly pulled a contract from her bag—a property transfer agreement—and placed it in his hand.

"You already gave me five million last time. That's more than enough. I just want your promise that, no matter what happens in the future—whether it's you or your family—no one can ever take that money back."

Brian stared at the agreement, silent.

Elara's heart was racing, but she steadied herself and asked, "Can you sign it, Mr. Vincent?"