Chapter 31: Chapter 31 If the Shoe Fits, Wear It
Author
"Enough!" Alpha Enzo’s voice carried his Alpha power.
But Elara had heard enough. She put down her napkin and looked directly at Anthony.
"You know what, Anthony? You’re right. I don’t belong here." Her voice was calm but sharp. "But neither do spoiled brats who throw fits at the dinner table."
Anthony’s mouth fell open.
"I’m twenty-three and running a business. You’re sixteen and can’t even manage basic manners. So maybe worry about your own problems before judging mine."
The silence that followed was complete.
Anthony scoffed. "Fine, I’ll go. I can see some people have lost their appetite anyway!"
He kicked his chair back and stormed upstairs.
Elara didn’t even look at him during the whole thing.
Alpha Enzo laughed awkwardly. "Don’t mind him, Elara. That kid needs some serious discipline. I’ll handle him later."
Elara smiled politely. "It’s fine, Uncle Enzo."
Finally, with just the three of them at the table, Nadia got to the real reason for tonight’s dinner.
"Elara, has that 5% stake that Alpha Hunter mentioned been put in your name?" she asked casually.
Elara tensed up. Her face got hard. "Yes, it has. Why? Are you still eyeing my inheritance money?"
The sharp comeback made both adults uncomfortable.
Nadia bristled when Elara called her out so bluntly. She got defensive. "How can you talk to me like that? No one’s after your money. Enzo is just worried you won’t know how to handle such a large sum."
"Ahem," Alpha Enzo stepped in. "The hotel business your father left you is enough for you to deal with. Why not let this 5% shareholding stay in your name for now, but you can let me manage it and transfer it over in a few years."
Elara calmly put down her fork, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and asked, "Uncle Enzo, was what my mother just said really your idea?"
What did they mean by "let me manage it"? They clearly wanted to get their hands on her assets.
Elara and Alpha Dominic’s marriage was fake.
When they got divorced, she would return those shares to Alpha Dominic exactly as agreed.
How could there be any talk about giving them to her stepfather?
Alpha Enzo kept a fake smile but stayed quiet. Nadia kept pushing. "What’s wrong, Elara? You don’t agree?"
"Without Uncle Enzo’s business connections, how could you possibly have caught someone like Dominic’s attention? Even though this is obviously a business arrangement, you still want to keep all the money to yourself?"
Elara’s lips got tight, but she stayed calm. "Mom, do you understand what inheritance means?"
"My assets were my father’s hotel. Something he left me before he died, not something anyone ’gave’ me. The money is mine by right. What’s the problem?"
"Or are we still living in the Middle Ages where daughters are treated like property to be bartered off?"
Nadia’s face changed instantly as she slammed her hand on the table. "Elara! What are you implying?!"
Elara smiled slightly. "If the shoe fits, wear it."
"Uncle Enzo, you wouldn’t want the pack gossip network saying you sold your stepdaughter’s inheritance for business favors, would you?" she added slowly. "Especially since I’m not even a blood relative."
Alpha Enzo’s smile disappeared. This was the first time he realized Elara was tough to deal with.
"Well, well, Elara has certainly grown up and gotten quite sharp-tongued," he said smoothly.
"Let’s eat and not overthink things. That was just your mother’s suggestion. Since the assets were left to you, they’re yours. I have no reason to want them."
Alpha Enzo perfectly showed what being two-faced meant, putting all the blame on his wife.
Elara didn’t bother calling him out more.
"Glad we understand each other." She stood up gracefully, smoothing down her dress. "Uncle Enzo, I’ve eaten enough, so I won’t overstay my welcome."
As she gathered her things, Elara remembered something. "Oh, before I go, I need to grab something I left here from the old storage room."
Alpha Enzo waved his hand dismissively. "Of course, take whatever you need." Nadia was still sulking from their earlier exchange and didn’t bother looking up.
Elara ignored the tense atmosphere in the dining room and headed toward the small storage room in the back part of the house.
She’d forgotten to get back an old diary she wanted to burn.
She asked the housekeeper to open the door for her and started looking through the pile of random stuff.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind her.
Elara spun around and banged on the door, but no one answered.
She reached for her phone only to find her purse, which had been hanging on the doorknob, was gone.
Without warning, the storage room light went out, leaving Elara in complete darkness.
The silence was so total she could hear the wind moving the leaves outside the small window.
