The CEO’s Second Choice

ElenaUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

On my forehead?

“Elena, in the past nothing would have given me more pleasure than ripping you from Sebastian’s life and kissing you right now, taking you and passionately making love to you. Knowing it would devastate him when he found out, I had claimed yet another one of his conquests. However, I cannot and will not do that, because I see Sebastian as my brother. Ever since he showed to be the only one in my corner after my scandal last year and the birth of my son, things have shifted into a different perspective for me.” He says, and I am openly shocked at this revelation of his. Sebastian had never mentioned that he and Elijah had grown closer, not once. He stood up and held out a hand for me to take. “Come let’s go and you can tell me what has happened that you needed to run away and seek solace in the man who used to be your husband’s rival.”

I take his hand and he lifts me up, letting go as soon as I get to my feet. Then he gestures towards a villa close to where we stood. “I live over there. We won’t be bothered as this strip of beach belongs to me.” He says and I decide then and there that the lifestyle of the wealthy will never again surprise me. He bought a frigging beach. Was that even possible?

We walk in silence as Elijah leads me into what appears to be his holiday home and, as usual, it is beautiful. The decor was gorgeous and immaculate; so very Elijah in everything. We reach his terrace and he pulls out a chair for me to take before sitting opposite me. “Now, Elena. I do think you were about to kiss me on the shore if I did not pull away or stop you. Do you mind telling me what’s going on?” He asks and before I could stop myself, I blurt out, “I’m pregnant,” Elijah regards me with a shocked expression, but clears his throat and continues. “Then why do you look as if your world has ended? A child is a gift, a precious gift that-”

“Because I caught my husband with your sister in his office.” I spit out and see the cogs turning in his head. Then he shot up and slammed his fist on the gorgeous oak table. “What?!” He exclaims and starts pacing the terrace. “Are you certain, Elena? Dead positive?” I nod sadly and look down at my hands, my wedding ring glistening in the Tenerife sun as if it had no idea it might be taken off soon. Elijah stops pacing and looks at me, guilt written all over his face as he gives me a wistful smile.

“It wasn’t supposed to go this way, I’m sorry, Elena.” He says and gets down on his haunches in front of me. Excuse me, what? What wasn’t supposed to go which way now? I frowned and shook my head and he tried to take my hand in his, but I pulled it away. “What the heck are you talking about, Elijah?” I ask, hoping that this wasn’t another person lying to me as everyone seems to do lately. He sighs. “Before my son was born and my scandal hit the public eye, I used to be a scoundrel. I was incredibly jaded by Irina’s death and tried every which way to separate you and Sebastian, but nothing succeeded. Then I sent in my sister to attempt to seduce him, bear in mind, this was before my scandal. After Liam was born, I only had eyes for him and my heart grew full with the love I thought I had lost with my late wife. I called everything off with Isla, but she is so obsessed with Sebastian that she cannot see past reason and refuses to let go. She banded with your poisonous friend, Anabelle, to create discord in your life, but I put a stop to it. Currently, Isla should be in a mental home I sent her to.”

I am certain my mouth is agape right now. Elijah planned all of these things in advance in order to break up Sebastian and me?

“How long has she been in the mental home?” I ask, needing to put the pieces together myself. I knew Elijah couldn’t be trusted, but this? This is a bit too much for me to handle! “Since last July. I put strict instructions to not let her check herself out unless I was present, so now the centre won’t exist when I’m through with it. No one called to let me know or to verify that she was to be let out, so I do not understand.” Elijah sways and falls backwards on his bottom. He runs his fingers through his long hair in frustration, and I hear a low growl escape his throat. Then he takes his phone out of his pocket and frowns before he puts it to his ear.

“I’ve found your wife, and she is heartbroken. What are you doing with my sister?”

Eh. Did he just give my location away?! I look at him in shock, but he shakes his head as a stern expression crosses his face. “Yes, but you had no right to do that, Sebastian. Isla is unhinged… Oh, okay, I see. Then I will keep her here. How long? Hm, okay, I understand.” Elijah kills the call and pockets the cell phone before looking at me. “Sebastian is in Tenerife already and is heading here. He has taken Isla back to the mental home. I think you need to hear what he has to say, dove.” He says and gets up from the terrace floor. “Come inside, he will be here soon.”

“Dove?” I look at him and he chuckles. Did he seriously call me a bird? “Yes, dove. Come, I will make you some tea. Are you nauseous?” He asks me, but I shake my head and watch him continue to brew the tea. My nose is immediately filled with the sweet scent of raspberry, which somehow produces a calming effect on me. He brings a tray closer and smiles, “Raspberry leaf tea,” he says and I offer him a small thank you before he takes a seat opposite me. We sit in silence for a while until I hear the doorbell ring. I look up at Elijah and my lip trembles again. Was I really going to allow him to explain himself to me? Did I want to hear his explanation?

“Elena,” as soon as I hear his voice, my bravado crumbles to dust, and a sob overtakes my body once more. Elijah excuses himself, and I hear him pat Sebastian on the back. A shadow falls over me, but I dare not look up at him. I know if I did that I would fall for whatever he had to say, whatever excuse he had I would take it readily. “Elena, please look at me,” he begs while taking my hands in his. But I refuse. Sebastian gets on his haunches in front of me, “Please, Elena, what you saw… it was nothing. There is nothing going on between me and Isla, you have to believe that. She came to my office and begged me to love and be with her, but I adamantly refused, and when I called security, she clung to me and would not let go. What you saw was me trying to pry her off my body, my love. I would never betray you like that, never.”

I turned my head and looked at him as he begged me to believe him, but all I saw in his eyes were the remnants of pain and misery. Sebastian was telling the truth. I knew he was but that image will forever be burned in my mind. “I took her back to the mental home as I continued my search for you. I never would have thought you would be with Elijah.” He says, but I shake my head at this. “I wasn’t with him, I found him on the beach when I came down to clear my thoughts,” I say and notice the smile that grew on his face. “Your voice,” he says and puts his head in my lap. “I’ve missed you so much, Elena. Please believe me when I say I would never betray you. You’re my life and my entire world.”

“Not for long,” I say, and his head shoots up at this statement. He frowns as sadness finds its way into his expression, but I shake my head and give him a wistful smile. “I’m pregnant, Sebastian. Soon it won’t just be me you will need to love.” I say and see his eyes widen in surprise. Then he does something I have never seen him do before.

His face crumples up and he cries!

“Sebastian?!” I exclaim, shocked, as his head falls in my lap once more. He grabs me by the waist and plants kisses on my abdomen, leaving traces of tears on my dress. Was he really this happy just because I was pregnant? Did he truly want children that badly? He looked up at me, and all I saw was love in his eyes, love for me and our unborn child. What else could I do but forgive him? Elijah admitted that his sister was unhinged and obsessed with Sebastian, and he just proved it by what he admitted to me. I sigh and a smile spreads on my face, “I’m sorry for running away,” I finally say, and his grip around my waist tightens. “I’m sorry for making you doubt me, my love. That was not my intention at all. I would never betray you for as long as I live.”

Doubt is an awful thing. It creates unrest and tears marriages and families apart, where at the root of it all lay the unwillingness to talk things through. If anything, these last two days taught me to not be hasty and hear someone out instead of jumping to a conclusion. I could have done serious damage to my marriage if I stayed away for longer, thank God that I had such a stubborn husband.

I look down at Sebastian, “I love you,” I say and he gives me that smile I fell in love with before saying, “I love you too, petite pâquerette”