Chapter 4: Stripping Away the Pride
It took three days to find Maya again. Julian had mobilized every resource he possessed, practically tearing the city apart. He didn't sleep; he barely ate. Elena remained in their shared penthouse, moving like a ghost. She hadn't taken off her engagement ring, but Julian hadn't spoken to her since the night of the wedding.
When Julian’s security team finally located Maya, she was living in a run-down, cramped studio apartment on the edge of the city. Julian was ready to storm the place, but Elena stopped him at the door of their penthouse.
"Let me go," Elena said quietly. She had traded her designer clothes for a simple pair of jeans and a sweater. Her face was bare of makeup.
Julian looked at her, his jaw tight. "You've done enough, Elena."
"I know," she replied, her voice breaking. "That’s why I have to fix it. If you go, she’ll run again because she thinks she’s a burden to your life with me. She thinks I hate her. I need to show her that she is the most important part of your life, and that she has a place here."
Julian stared into her eyes for a long moment, searching for the vanity that usually lived there. He found none. He finally nodded, handing her the slip of paper with Maya’s address.
It was raining when Elena arrived at the dilapidated apartment building. She climbed three flights of stairs that smelled of damp wood and stale cooking oil. When she knocked on door 3B, there was a long pause before the deadbolt clicked.
Maya opened the door an inch, the chain still engaged. When she saw Elena, her eyes widened in panic, and she tried to slam it shut.
"Wait! Please!" Elena wedged her foot in the door, wincing at the pain. "Maya, please. Give me five minutes. If you want me to leave after that, I will never bother you again."
Maya hesitated, then slowly undid the chain, stepping back into the tiny, dimly lit room.
Elena stepped inside. The apartment was impeccably clean but heartbreakingly bare. There was a small mattress on the floor, a single chair, and a pile of uniforms in the corner.
"I didn't mean to ruin your wedding," Maya whispered, crossing her arms defensively. "I told my manager not to assign me to the Beaumont Estate, but I needed the overtime."
"Maya, look at me," Elena said gently, taking a step forward. "You didn't ruin anything. I ruined it. I let my insecurity, my pride, and my superficiality blind me. I saw Julian hugging another woman, and instead of trusting the man I love, I chose violence. I was cruel to you, and there is no excuse for it."
Elena slowly sank to her knees on the cheap linoleum floor. Maya gasped, taking a step back.
"Please get up," Maya panicked. "People like you don't kneel."
"I am nothing without Julian," Elena cried, the tears flowing freely now. "And Julian is nothing without you. For four years, I watched a shadow behind his eyes, a pain he could never explain. Now I know it was the shape of you. He loves you so much, Maya. He has spent his entire adult life looking for you. Do not let my stupidity keep you apart."
Maya’s tough exterior finally cracked. She sank to the floor next to Elena, and the two women, from entirely different worlds, sat in the cramped apartment and cried together.
Suddenly, a loud banging came from the door. It burst open, and the catering manager from the estate stormed in, looking furious.
"I knew you were hiding out here!" the manager yelled at Maya. "You owe us three thousand dollars for the damaged crystal and the ruined event! You're fired, and I'm taking you to small claims court!"
Elena stood up, wiping her tears, a new, protective fire igniting in her chest. She stepped between the manager and Maya.
"She doesn't owe you a dime," Elena said, her voice dripping with the authority she usually reserved for boardrooms. "I caused the damage. Bill my accountant. And as for firing her, consider your company's contract with the Beaumont Estate and every other venue my family owns permanently terminated."
May you like
The manager turned pale, stammering apologies before fleeing down the hallway. Elena turned back to Maya, offering her hand.
"Let’s go home, Maya," Elena smiled. "Your brother is waiting for you."
