Chapter 4 Episode 4

Chapter 4

Elena's POV

I woke up on the cold, hard floor of my house, my body aching from the uncomfortable position I had slept in. I realized I hadn't even made it to my bed last night, too exhausted and emotionally drained to care.

As I sat up, memories of the previous night came flooding back - the passionate encounter with Peter, the abrupt way he had sent me away. I couldn't understand why he had turned so cold, so quickly.

"They're all the same, these Holmes men," I muttered bitterly. "Use you and then toss you aside like garbage."

I knew Peter had a reputation for chasing and harassing women, but I had thought maybe, just maybe, I was different. Clearly, I was wrong.

As I dragged myself to my feet, the weight of my problems came crashing down on me once again. The doctor's words echoed in my mind - the exorbitant amount of money he had demanded for my father's treatment.

"Where am I going to get that kind of cash?" I wondered aloud, feeling the panic rising in my throat.

A desperate idea formed in my mind. Maybe Bryon could help. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I dismissed it. How pathetic would I look, crawling back to my ex-boyfriend for money?

But what choice did I have? With a heavy heart, I got dressed and headed out to the Holmes' mansion, determined to swallow my pride and ask for help.

When I arrived, I rang the doorbell with trembling fingers. To my surprise, Bryon himself answered the door.

"Elena? What are you doing here?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I... I came to see you, Bryon," I stammered. "Can I come inside?"

But before he could respond, a sharp voice interrupted from within the house.

"There's no 'inside' for you here, Elena," Chloe sneered, appearing behind Bryon. "He dumped you for good."

I stared at her, shocked. I turned to Bryon, hoping for some kind of explanation, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Is this why you dumped me?" I asked, my voice shaking with anger and hurt. "For Chloe? Really, Bryon?"

Chloe smirked, clearly enjoying my pain. But it was Bryon's mother, Maria, who delivered the cruelest blow.

"Sorry, Elena," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "But Chloe's family has a good name, wealth, and a spotless reputation. Her mother was never a fraud, and her father was never a pathetic loser like yours."

Her words cut me like a knife. I felt my face flush with rage and humiliation.

"My mother may have made mistakes," I said through gritted teeth, "but she paid the price with her life. How dare you compare me to this... this dirty pig!"

I glared at Chloe, who looked outraged at the insult. Before I could react, she reached out and slapped me hard across the face.

"Call me a pig again, and you'll regret not dying with your mother," she hissed.

I reeled back, my cheek stinging. I was about to lunge at her when a booming voice interrupted the confrontation.

"Enough!"

We all turned to see Peter standing there, his expression thunderous.

"What's going on here?" he demanded, his eyes darting between me, Bryon, Chloe, and Maria.

I felt a rush of shame, realizing how pathetic I must look. Here I was, begging for scraps from the family that had cast me aside, while Peter looked on in disgust.

"Nothing that concerns you, Peter," Maria said smoothly. "Just taking out the trash."

She gave me a pointed look, and I felt my blood boil. But before I could say anything, Peter spoke again.

"Elena, come with me. We need to talk."

I hesitated, not sure if I could trust him after the way he had treated me. But the alternative was staying here and facing more humiliation.

I followed Peter out of the house, ignoring the smug look on Chloe's face. As soon as we were outside, I whirled on him.

"What do you want, Peter?" I snapped. "Here to kick me while I'm down, just like the rest of your family?"

He held up his hands in a placating gesture. "No, Elena, I... I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have sent you away like that."

I scoffed. "Yeah, you think?"

"Look, I know I messed up. But I want to help you. I heard what you said about needing money for your dad's treatment."

I stared at him, not sure if I could believe what I was hearing. "What are you saying, Peter?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm saying I'll give you the money. Whatever you need. No strings attached."

My jaw dropped. I searched his face for any sign of deceit, but he looked sincere.

"Why would you do that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why help me, after everything?"

He reached out and took my hand, his touch sending a shiver down my spine.

"Let's say to make up with yesterday Elena. And I can't stand the thought of you suffering."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. After all the pain and rejection I had faced, his words were like a balm to my battered soul.

"Thank you, Peter," I whispered, squeezing his hand. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

I leaned in and kissed him softly, pouring all my gratitude and longing into the gesture.

"You've done more than enough," I murmured against his lips.

As we stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, I felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, I had found an ally in the most unlikely of places.

But even as I savored the moment, a nagging voice in the back of my mind warned me not to get too comfortable. In this world of wealth, power, and secrets, nothing was ever as it seemed.

And I had a feeling that my troubles were far from over.