Chapter 14
Four years ago
Carter
The afternoon sun hung low over the university courtyard, casting everything in a warm golden glow. Graduation day buzzed around Carter with laughter, cameras, and proud families celebrating years of hard work. None of it mattered nearly as much as the girl standing a few feet away from him.
Elena looked beautiful in her black robes, her golden hair catching the sunlight like strands of silk spun from gold.
Carter had just been announced as the top student in his class, yet the first thing he did was search for her in the crowd.
The certificate tucked under his arm felt insignificant compared to the smile he hoped to see on her face. His heart beat faster as he crossed the lawn toward her. Every accomplishment felt incomplete until he shared it with Elena.
She turned when she heard him approaching, and the sight of her stole the air from his lungs as it always did.
Years together should have made him immune by now, but they never had.
Somehow she still managed to unravel him with a single glance.
She looked up at him and smiled, and suddenly every stressful night spent studying had been worth it.
"Are you proud of me, brat?" Carter asked, unable to hide the grin stretching across his face. Pride swelled inside him, but what he wanted most was her approval.
"A little bit," Elena replied with a teasing shrug. "Don't let it get to your head, nerd." Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she said it. The nickname sounded far more affectionate than insulting coming from her.
Carter laughed and shook his head. She was impossible, and that was one of the thousand reasons he loved her.
She loved to tease him. But he knew despite growing up with wealth, privilege, and opportunities he could never have imagined, Elena never looked down on anyone.
She had a way of making people feel seen, and Carter had fallen for that long before he'd fallen for anything else.
Loving her wasn't something he had chosen; it was as natural as breathing.
Every dream he imagined included her standing beside him. He wanted her laughter filling their home and her hand in his when they were old and gray.
The ring waiting in his jacket pocket suddenly felt heavier. Carter resisted the urge to check that it was still there. Tonight he was finally going to ask her to marry him. The thought sent excitement racing through him so fast he thought he might burst.
He had spent months planning every detail of the proposal. The reservation was booked, the ring was perfect, and even the timing had been carefully arranged. By this time tomorrow, if everything went right, Elena would be his fiancée. The possibility made him grin like an idiot.
"Meet me at Castelli's tonight at eight," he said casually, trying not to sound nervous. Keeping the surprise from her was becoming increasingly difficult.
Every time he looked at her, he wanted to blurt out the entire plan. Somehow he managed to maintain a calm expression.
"Okay. Dinner?" Elena asked suspiciously. She tilted her head slightly, already trying to figure out what he was hiding. Carter loved that curious little look she got whenever she sensed a secret.
"Yeah," he answered. "Just dinner." The lie sat awkwardly on his tongue. It was technically dinner, but it would also be the most important night of his life.
"Will Caroline and your mom be joining us?" she asked. Her voice carried genuine affection when she mentioned them. Elena loved his family and they loved her.
Carter shook his head. "They're going shopping tonight. Could be late but they'll join us later."
"I can go shopping with them," Elena offered immediately.
"No," he said, stepping closer.
His hands settled gently on her waist before he pulled her toward him. "I want you for myself tonight first." The soft blush spreading across her cheeks made his chest tighten with affection.
"Come on," she said finally, reluctantly stepping back. "I want you to meet someone."
"The famous aunt?" Carter asked, hiding how nervous he felt. Elena had spoken about her aunt Julia for years, but their schedules had never aligned long enough for a proper introduction.
"The famous aunt," Elena confirmed with a grin. She intertwined their fingers and led him toward the reception hall.
For years, he'd heard stories about Elena's aunt Julia. About how elegant, brilliant, and impossibly accomplished she was. Every achievement Elena celebrated somehow traced back to her. Every difficult decision involved her opinion.
Ever since Elena had lost her parents seven years ago, her aunt had become everything at once—guardian, mentor, family, and home.
Elena didn't talk much about losing her parents. She carried that grief quietly, tucked into places she rarely let anyone see. But whenever she spoke about her aunt, there was always something different in her voice. Respect. Gratitude. Love.
Which was exactly why Carter was nervous.
It was the fact that this woman was the closest thing Elena had to a parent.
And Carter desperately wanted her to like him.
****
Carter walked back toward his apartment with a grin he couldn't seem to get rid of. Everything in his life was perfect. He had graduated top of his class. Already had job offers from the best firms in the country and the woman of his dreams loved him back.
Meeting her aunt had been surprisingly easy.
The woman had been intimidating from the second she'd entered the room.
Unlike Elena's golden blonde hair, her aunt’s was brown.
Her hair styled into a sleek twist that hadn't moved an inch all afternoon.
She was beautiful in the same refined way Elena was beautiful, though where Elena radiated warmth, her aunt radiated authority.
Her cream colored dress looked expensive. Not "nice expensive." More like "if you spill juice on this, you owe money for the rest of your life" expensive.
When she walked in, half the room sat up straighter without even realizing it. She looked like the kind of woman who could glance at your outfit and lower your self-esteem by three points.
And yet she'd been nice to him.
Actually nice.
She'd smiled when Elena introduced them. She'd asked him thoughtful questions about school and his future plans. By the end of their conversation, she'd even seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say.
Elena's aunt didn't dislike him.
Whew.
What a relief.
As he approached his apartment building, his thoughts drifted toward the future. Soon, he wouldn't be living here anymore. Both he and Elena had received job offers from firms in New York and l they'd talked about moving there together.
The idea made him smile.
A new city. New jobs. A future with Elena.
And if tonight went according to plan, she'd be his fiancée before any of that happened.
His mom and Caroline already left for shopping in the city, they were also excited when he told them. They wished him good luck. He told them not to be too late for dinner. He wanted to celebrate it with them too. He knew Elena would.
His attention shifted when a long black limousine pulled up along the curb a few feet away. Carter instinctively stepped aside, assuming it was stopping for someone else. Then one of the tinted windows slowly rolled down.
His eyebrows rose immediately.
Sitting inside was Elena's aunt.
"Oh, hey, Ms. LeClair," he said, walking closer to the vehicle. He automatically glanced past her into the back seat, expecting to see Elena somewhere inside. "Didn't expect to see you again today."
Elena wasn't there.
Ms. LeClair noticed him looking and gave nothing away. Her expression remained as composed and unreadable as ever. If anything, she looked even more intimidating without a room full of people around to soften the effect.
"Carter," she said smoothly. "Get in. I'd like to have a conversation with you."
His stomach tightened instantly.
A conversation?
Alone?
Without Elena?
Every possible reason for this meeting flashed through his head, and none of them made him feel particularly comfortable.
Still, refusing wasn't really an option.
"Uh... sure."
The door closed behind Carter with a soft click that somehow sounded louder than a slam. He shifted slightly in his seat and tried not to look uncomfortable. Unfortunately, he felt uncomfortable immediately.
His eyes drifted around the interior of the limo.
The cream leather seats felt softer than his mattress back at the apartment.
Dark polished wood gleamed beneath hidden lighting, and every surface looked so expensive that touching anything felt dangerous.
The whole thing felt less like a car and more like a moving boardroom.
Carter suddenly became very aware of his own presence. He looked down at his jeans and button-down shirt, wondering if he should have changed before graduation celebrations. Then he immediately felt ridiculous for thinking that. His clothes were perfectly fine.
Across from him sat Julia LeClair. Without the polite smiles from earlier, she seemed even more intimidating. Her posture was perfect, her expression unreadable, and her presence filled the entire limousine. Carter had the strange feeling she could make grown men cry with a single raised eyebrow.
Several seconds passed in silence. Julia appeared completely comfortable with it. Carter, meanwhile, felt like he was waiting for an oral exam he hadn't studied for. The tension stretched long enough to become annoying.
Finally, Julia folded her hands neatly in her lap. "Look, Carter, I am sure you're a good young man." Her voice was calm and professional. The sentence sounded suspiciously like the beginning of very bad news.
Carter leaned back slightly. He already knew where this conversation was headed. That didn't make him like it any more. His stomach tightened anyway.