The Tension That Remains
The anniversary celebration didn't end early, but its sparkle dulled after the incident. Whispers had spread like wildfire- guests speculating, glancing discreetly towards Elara and Killian from across champagne glasses and candlelit tables. The Reeve family, experienced in social storms, carried on with practiced grace. But beneath the surface, everything simmered.
Killian had barely spoken to Elara since pulling Vivienne from the pool. After handing Vivienne over to a hotel physician and making sure she was settled in a suite with her mother, he had disappeared into a quiet discussion with his father and a few board members. Elara hadn't been called.
Now, hours later, she sat in the quiet sitting room of the presidential suite, curled on one end of the sofa. Her gown had been exchanged for a silk robe. Her hair was down, damp from late shower, yet her thoughts felt tangled with questions she couldn't shake.
The door opened with a quiet click.
Killian stepped inside, his tie undone and expression unreadable.
Elara looked up but didn't move. "How is she?"
"She's fine," he said. "Sleeping."
A beat of silence passed.
"I didn't push her," Elara said.
"I know,"Killian replied walking past her toward the mini bar. "Vivienne told her mother it was her fault. She said she grabbed your arm and lost balance."
That surprised her. "She admitted that?"
"She did." He poured himself a glass of wine, his back still turned. "You didn't look surprised when she confronted you earlier."
"I wasn't." Elara pulled her robe tighter around her. "I could tell from the beginning she didnt like me. I've just been...alert."
He finally turned, drink in hand. "You didn't push her but you also didn't try to stop her."
Elara met his gaze without flinching.
"Should I have?"
There was no edge in her voice, only a quiet question that made him pause.
"She was out of line," he said. "But this won't look good,Elara. Not with the press still sniffing around."
"I didn't sign up for it to look good," she murmured. "Only to survive it."
He sat down on the opposite side of the sofa, the space between them thick with unspoken things.
"You were calm," he said after a moment.
"Even with everyone watching you, you didn't panic."
"I couldn't afford to."
He studied her in silence, eyes tracing a line between admiration and something else- concern, maybe. Or regret.
"We leave early tomorrow," he said. "My parents want a family meeting."
She nodded.
"Elara," he added, more quietly now.
"You're handling better than most would."
She gave a faint, tired smile. "That's because I stopped expecting it to be fair a long time ago."
Another beat.
Killian leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm not angry. Just tired of putting out fires." he said.
"You didn't light this one," she said.
"No. But I brought in the fuel."
They sat in silence, neither moving, both unwilling to bridge the distance or widen it.
At last Killian stood. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be another long day."
She nodded.
"Good night, Killian."
He paused at the doorway. "Goodnight, Elara."
The door closed behind him, soft but final.
And Elara once again was alone in the quiet.