Chapter 2 - The Giant's Sanctuary
The night air was freezing, biting through the thin fabric of Clara’s dress, but the heavy scent of Elias’s cologne from the jacket wrapped around her offered a strange, grounding comfort. He led her to a sleek, black SUV parked near the edge of the estate. He opened the passenger door, waiting for her to slide in before shutting it firmly, cutting off the distant, chaotic shouts echoing from the mansion.
When Elias got into the driver’s seat, the silence in the car was thick. Clara stared out the window, her hands gripping the edges of the jacket. "Why?" she finally whispered, her voice cracking. "Why did you do that? My father... Charles... he will destroy you for this. He ruins anyone who crosses him."
Elias started the engine, the powerful roar of the vehicle matching the tension in his jaw. "Charles Whitmore is a coward who hides behind money. I don't fear cowards."
"But I have nothing," Clara said, tears finally spilling over her cheeks. "I have no money to pay you. I have nowhere to go. I was just a secret they wanted to keep quiet. Now, I'm a target."
"You're not a target anymore," Elias said, shifting the car into gear and speeding away from the iron gates of the estate. "You're under my protection. And I've never lost a principal."
He drove her to the outskirts of the city, far from the glittering high-rises and wealthy suburbs, to a heavily fortified industrial loft overlooking the river. It was sparsely decorated but spotlessly clean, filled with monitors, locked cabinets, and the quiet hum of servers.
"Sit," he instructed, pointing to a leather couch. He disappeared into a back room and returned a moment later with a large, clean t-shirt and sweatpants. "Change out of that dress. There's a bathroom down the hall."
Clara took the clothes, her hands still shaking slightly. When she returned, dressed in his oversized clothes that swallowed her small frame, she found Elias in the kitchen, brewing tea. He handed her a steaming mug.
"Drink. It helps with the shock."
She took a sip, letting the warmth spread through her chest. "What happens tomorrow?" she asked softly.
Elias leaned against the counter, crossing his massive arms. His dark eyes studied her intensely. "Tomorrow, Charles will freeze whatever meager bank accounts you have. He will put a trace on your name. He will try to erase you, legally and physically, because you embarrassed his golden child. But he won't find you. You stay here."
"I can't hide forever, Elias. I'm just an illegitimate daughter. Why do they hate me so much?"
Elias looked away, his jaw tightening. "Because, Clara, you aren't just an illegitimate daughter. And your mother didn't die of a sudden heart attack like they told you."
Clara dropped her mug. It shattered on the floor, hot tea splashing over the tiles, but neither of them moved. The room felt suddenly devoid of air.
May you like
"What?" she breathed.
"Your mother was murdered," Elias said, his voice grave. "And I have the proof. That's why Charles brought you in. To keep you close, under his thumb, until he could figure out how much you knew."
