Chapter 4 BEHIND THE LAST NAME

BEHIND THE LAST NAME

Elara quietly stared out the window as they drove down the road. All that was on her mind was to get away-to forget everything and start over.

She couldn't forget how Nathan had chosen to turn his back on her, despite being his wife. He sided with Shaira-who was pregnant, and she didn't even know who the real father of the child was. She didn't want to bring it up anymore, but from the way Shaira acted, she felt like there was a secret the two of them were hiding. Was it true that Shaira had said they were in a relationship behind her back?

Her tears fell. She wasn't the type of person to cry easily, but maybe because she was pregnant, she couldn't control her emotions. The pain she felt earlier only intensified.

She was hurt. Betrayed. Angry.

She wanted revenge, but not in a way that would keep her connected to them-especially Nathan. The best way to get back at them was to show them that she didn't need them anymore. She could rise, she could fight, and she could rebuild her life without them.

"Here," her sister suddenly said, handing her a handkerchief.

Elara glanced at the handkerchief while her sister kept her eyes straight ahead.

"I never liked that guy ever since you first told me about him," her sister's voice was cold and filled with anger.

Elara took the handkerchief and quickly wiped her tears. Her sister glanced at her for a moment before speaking again.

"You're not crying just because of a man, Elara. Tell me... are you pregnant?"

Elara almost stopped breathing. She couldn't bring herself to look at her sister while her teeth clenched tightly in anger.

Yes. She was pregnant. And the father of the child... had shamelessly chosen another woman over her.

---

Elara's tears flowed even more, frustrated with herself because she couldn't stop them from flowing. She wasn't the type to cry easily, especially in front of others. She knew she had to be hurt deeply just to give in to her emotions. She had always been used to being strong, which was why people often mistook her as cold and indifferent-just like Nathan had said.

"I'm divorcing him," she said softly but firmly. "Tell Glenda to call our family lawyer. I want her to handle my divorce and make sure I don't get anything from it. Just give the lawyer my instructions-I'm giving Nathan my entire share. I want the divorce papers on his desk tomorrow morning before I leave."

Her sister looked at her, studying her expression. "Will Glenda make sure he signs it... But do you think he will?"

"He would," Elara answered without hesitation. "He's wanted to divorce me for a long time. The only thing stopping him was my share in the company. He wants everything for himself, so I'll give it all to him... so he can finally leave me alone."

Her tone was hard, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling as she stared out the window.

---

"You're an heiress, Elara. You don't need that little amount. Doesn't Nathan know that you come from a very wealthy family? Is that why the company he built is still making money? Because most of his clients are actually from us?"

Elara remained silent. She didn't want to accept the fact that she had been living in the illusion that Nathan's success was due to his own hard work. But it wasn't. There was an invisible string pulling behind her, making everything easier for Nathan-and she hadn't even noticed it before.

Her sister chuckled slightly, but there was a tone of insult and disappointment in her voice.

"Ah, so the bastard doesn't know?" her sister continued. "Because if he knew, he wouldn't leave you, Elara. You're the greatest asset he could ever get. You're a Lhuillier."

For the longest time, Elara had used her mother's surname to hide her true identity as a Lhuillier. Their family name was huge. No one in the country didn't know who they were, a family of business tycoons in the making.

Her father was one of the most powerful businessmen-feared and respected in the industry. Simply mentioning his name could change the course of a negotiation. No well-established businessman would want to make an enemy out of the Lhuilliers, as almost everyone had connections to their empire. That was why their family had chosen to live quietly and out of the public eye, to protect their security and power.

"You were so blinded by your love for that man, you willingly gave him everything," her sister's voice mixed with regret and disappointment.

Elara wiped away her tears. She suddenly realized how foolish she had been, thinking that one day Nathan would learn to love her. That their marriage-which had started as a business agreement-would eventually become real.

But she was wrong.

"He deceived me secretly. No-he never loved me," she said firmly, her eyes darkening with intense emotion. "He betrayed me and slept with the woman who had the audacity to accuse me of being the cause of her losing her child."

Elara's blood boiled as she recalled all the deception she had endured. But now that she knew the truth, she wouldn't be deceived any longer.

"Hmm... Shaira again? Do you know why Nathan likes her?" her sister continued. "Because her father has influence in the business world. Well, if we're being honest, she doesn't compare to our father-even in your part of the company-but Nathan probably thinks he hit the jackpot by being with Shaira, Elara."

Elara glanced at her, her brows furrowing slightly. "You've been digging up information about her?"

"Just curious, because she's been getting on your nerves all day, right?" Her sister briefly smiled.

Elara sighed. She knew that their family had its own surveillance team, quietly keeping track of them and reporting everything to ensure that everything was in order.

"Glenda, can you at least say you're the one giving out the information?" she asked, her gaze returning to the window.

"Sort of. In exchange for letting them know where I am." She chuckled lightly.

Unlike Elara, her sister was more defiant and rebellious. Their security team always had a hard time tracking her down because she was good at avoiding cameras and disguising herself as someone else. Escaping their guards seemed like a game to her-something she did whenever she got bored and just wanted to party without anyone watching over her.

---

Elara, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of her sister. She preferred to do things the proper way, which made her the family favorite since she wasn't a headache. But now that she was pregnant, she felt like she herself was the source of her own headaches.

"It would be better for you if you leave the country without a trace of that bastard. Your baby needs that if you plan to hide this," her sister said.

Elara stayed silent, gazing at the city lights until her sister parked the car. As they entered the Lhuillier home-the largest mansion in the country owned by their father, Jefferson Lhuillier-the security immediately opened the doors.

They both stepped out, and upon entering, the house staff bowed their heads and lined up along the sides. Some of the staff followed them as well.

Glenda, the head of the family's security system and the person responsible for carrying out all the plans, walked toward them.

"We need to talk, Elara," she said.

Elara didn't want to discuss what had happened, but she knew it would be better to inform Glenda about her plans to ensure that everything would be executed properly.

She immediately instructed a maid to gather and pack her things. Then, she walked to the garden to get some fresh air, while her sister went to the swimming pool.

A little while later, Glenda placed a bottle of champagne in front of her and poured her a drink-the wine she liked-while shaking her head.

"I can't drink. I'm pregnant," Elara said plainly.

"I know. I'm just confirming if you'll admit it to me." Glenda smiled and took the glass of champagne before drinking it.

Elara smiled back. Glenda had known their habits for years-she had been working for their family for over a decade. She had been a part of their lives since their parents had planned their marriage. Glenda had grown up observing her every move.

"What's your plan?" Glenda asked.

"Prepare the private jet tomorrow. I'll be flying to the U.S.–France. I want a quiet place there, so make sure you find me by tonight. Also, Shiela will tell you the rest of my plan, so make sure everything goes smoothly," Elara said.

"Divorce for Nathaniel Anderson?" Glenda finished.

---

Elara wasn't surprised when she found out that Glenda already knew about her plan. She knew that Glenda managed the security system and had been monitoring them twenty-four-seven. It was likely that she had noticed her crying when she left the hospital.

"Just leave it to me. By tomorrow morning, I'll make sure he signs it. That's all you want, right?" Glenda reassured her.

"Besides that, make sure I don't get a single cent from him. But at the same time, he must agree not to bother me or contact me like we still have any connection. That will be the price for this," Elara responded firmly.

She was done playing the martyr. She was done lowering herself, thinking that Nathan would choose her. But no. She was wrong.

Nathan himself dishonored her in front of her. He chose to defend Shaira over standing by her as his wife. And now, it was clear to her-Nathan had never regarded her as a true partner. She was merely a business partner, a strategy to keep the company he built intact.

"That's easy," Glenda replied meaningfully. "A person blinded by power will grab whatever bait pushes them higher-even if it's just temporary."

Elara knew how Glenda did things. She was an expert at maintaining their family's image. Any problem that might arise, she immediately solved. No matter who tried to bring them down, they wouldn't get anywhere.

She was in the bathroom, unable to sleep even for a second. All her belongings were packed. Inside the bathtub, she stared at the ceiling, thinking about how her world had crumbled in the blink of an eye.

Shaira had turned her life into a nightmare. Not only had Nathan betrayed her-choosing to defend another woman over her-he had also accused her of being responsible for the loss of Shaira's child.

She had thought that giving Nathan the benefit of the doubt would help preserve their relationship. But she was wrong.

---

She hadn't just missed the messages from Shaira-Shaira herself admitted to her about the affair with Nathan. And how could she not believe it? Nathan had chosen Shaira over her, his legitimate wife.

What hurt even more was hearing from Nathan himself that what mattered to him was the business, and that their separation could affect the company if she took her share. He had never loved her as a wife. She was just an obstacle that needed to be removed.

She let Glenda handle the divorce. She no longer hesitated. She couldn't risk her child's future with a man who had left her for another woman. She promised herself-she would raise her child alone. She wouldn't ask Nathan for help. She didn't need to let him know that they had a child.

And she knew that her child didn't deserve that kind of father-a man who left his wife and family for his own selfish gain.

She had no intention of telling Nathan about the child. They would never see each other again. She would start a new life-a life that Nathan would never be part of.

And most importantly, there was one person she needed to deal with-that woman, the cunning monkey who shamelessly ruined her life.

She swallowed her anger. She never wanted to see Shaira again. Because if she did, she might not be able to stop herself from stomping on her until she was gone from this world.

---

"Would you like something to drink, Miss Elara?" asked the stewardess of the private jet. She only stared out the window, silently watching the clouds.

"One champagne... no, just juice," she quickly changed her order when she remembered she was pregnant.

"Of course, ma'am."

She sighed. Her heart still ached.

For the first time, she cried for a man she had loved, a man she had trusted, and a man who had turned his back on her. She knew she was being dramatic-a thing she usually never did.

She looked at her belly and gently caressed it.

"Is it you?" she whispered in a tender voice. "Did you play with my hormones so I begged your daddy to choose us?"

Nathan's betrayal hurt so much. He left her without hesitation. He chose Shaira instead.

"But don't worry," she whispered as she stroked her belly. "You don't need him. I have all the wealth to give us a good life. Even if you have more siblings, I will give you a luxurious life."

She smiled faintly, though there was still pain in her heart.

"Do you know my little secret?" she whispered to her child. "When you come into this world, you'll carry my last name. I won't allow you to bear the name of that man-a man who didn't even choose us."

"Was I not worthy of his love?" she whispered to herself. "Why can't I understand? Everything I did... did it mean nothing to him?"

These questions played over and over in her mind, but she could find no answers. The pain of the truth pierced her heart-a wound she didn't know when, or if, it would ever heal.

She wanted to escape. Since the very beginning, it had been her dream to live in Paris, France-a place where she could be truly free.

She had her own unit in the sixteenth arrondissement, one of the most luxurious districts in all of Paris. A place where the ghosts of her past couldn't follow her. That's where she wanted to start over.

And now that Nathan was no longer in her life, nothing could stop her.

---

It had never been difficult for Elara to adjust to a new place. All her life, she had been used to being alone, to wandering wherever she pleased, and making decisions without relying on anyone. She had everything she needed, and money had never been an issue-not since the day she was born a Lhuillier.

Now, she lived a quiet life in Paris-far from the noise of the city in the U.S., where she left all the pain and memories behind. With her was Anna, her loyal housekeeper, who had become even more attentive since finding out she was pregnant. She also had a driver always ready to take her anywhere, and of course, the ever-present secret security guards who watched over her whenever she stepped outside.

She hadn't told her whole family about her condition yet. But now that she was five months pregnant, she knew she couldn't hide it for much longer.

And it seemed someone had already found out.

One day, as she opened the door, Mera appeared-holding a basket of fruit. Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and her gaze immediately landed on Elara's belly.

"It's true..." Mera whispered, clearly in disbelief.

Elara sighed. It was probably Shiela who spilled the secret. Maybe she had come to Paris just to confirm the suspicion.

Without asking for permission, Mera stepped inside the house, her eyes wandering around.

"Hmm... very minimalist," she remarked, while scanning the wide, elegant space. The colors-dirty white and beige-gave off a calming ambiance that matched the quiet life Elara had embraced.

She stood silently in one corner, waiting for her friend's next words. She knew this conversation was far from over.

Elara instructed the housekeeper to prepare some snacks for Mera, who was now comfortably seated on the sofa, watching a runway show on TV while munching on pizza.

Mera handed the fruit basket to the housekeeper before walking over to Elara and sitting beside her. She couldn't help but stare at her rounded belly.

"Wow. You look so beautiful because of your pregnancy," she commented. "You're blooming. And you've gained a little weight too."

Elara rolled her eyes. "So, in short, you're saying I'm fat?"

Mera burst into laughter. "It's just that your tummy's gotten big! And don't worry about your weight, Elara. You're pregnant. It's totally fine. You don't need to maintain your image-oh, right. You don't even post about yourself on social media anymore."

Elara just sighed and took another bite of pizza.

"I'm not even thinking about my weight," she muttered, clearly uninterested in the conversation.

Meanwhile, Mera licked her lips while eyeing the pizza, clearly tempted. Just as she reached for a slice, Elara smacked her hand.

"Hey! Don't eat a pregnant woman's food. That's mine," she scolded. "Order your own."

Mera's jaw dropped. "Wow, is that how you treat your guests?"

Elara only smiled and continued devouring the pizza, clearly not planning to argue.

"I didn't invite you here in the first place, Mera."

Mera laughed and shook her head. "Oh dear, here comes the drama again. Don't be like that-your baby might inherit all your sass and stubbornness."

She suddenly paused and thought for a moment. "Oh wait-never mind! It would actually be adorable if your baby turned out to be a little version of you. What I don't want to see is even the slightest trace of..."

She grimaced and didn't finish her sentence. "Hmp! He doesn't deserve to be duplicated."

Elara didn't respond, but she couldn't help the image of Nathan flashing through her mind.

Mera noticed the sudden shift in her expression and immediately warned her, "If I ever find out that psycho's trying to sneak back into your life..."

Elara rolled her eyes. "Calm down. He's living happily with his so-called first love. I don't care about them anymore."

"Good. Don't even bring him up. Might just ruin your whole day."