Chapter 81
Chapter 81:
“Were you my mother when Aspen locked me in the attic?” Jocelyn asked, her voice trembling slightly. “Were you my mother when Cory locked me in the cellar? Or were you just Robert’s wife p>
“You’re so dramatic,” Elouise scoffed, slipping into gaslighting mode. “You’re fine! Just a little cold! You were barely down there for a few hours. Stop playing the victim p>
“Just a little cold?” Jocelyn’s voice broke. “I almost died, Elouise. The doctor said another hour and my heart would have stopped p>
“Stop lying! You just want attention!” Elouise screamed. “Fix this! Tell Gaston to unfreeze the accounts! Tell him it was a misunderstanding p>
Jocelyn closed her eyes. The realization hit her like a physical blow. It wasn’t new, but it was final.
Elouise had never loved her. She didn’t even like her. She only valued the status Jocelyn provided. She was a resource, not a daughter.
The pain was sharp, agonizing. And then it was gone — replaced by a vast, cool emptiness.
𝘛he 𝘣𝘦𝗌𝘁 𝗿e𝘷𝗂e𝘸𝘀 𝘰𝗻
“No,” Jocelyn said clearly.
“What?” Elouise sounded genuinely shocked. She had never heard that word from Jocelyn before.
“No. I won’t help you. I won’t save you. You are on your own p>
“If you hang up this phone, you are no daughter of mine!” Elouise threatened. “I will disown you p>
“You can’t disown me,” Jocelyn said. “I haven’t been your daughter for a long time. Goodbye, Elouise p>
She hung up.
Then, with a steady finger, she tapped Block Caller.
She dropped the phone onto the desk and put her face in her hands. A sob ripped through her chest — harsh and ugly.
The office door opened.
Gaston walked in. He was early. He saw her hunched over, shoulders shaking, and rushed across the room in two strides.
“Did they hurt you again?” His voice was dangerous, low.
Jocelyn shook her head and looked up. Her face was wet with tears, but her eyes were clear.
“I blocked her,” she whispered. “I’m done p>
Gaston understood immediately. He knew what that had cost her.
He pulled her up from the chair and wrapped her in his arms, holding her tight — one hand cradling the back of her head, pressing her face into his chest.
“Good,” he murmured into her hair. “You don’t need them. You have me now. You have a new family p>
Jocelyn clung to him. She breathed in his scent — sandalwood and safety. For the first time, she didn’t think about the contract. She didn’t think about his partner. She didn’t think about the rules.
She just accepted the comfort.
“Take me home,” she whispered.
“Let’s go home,” Gaston said.
They had left the office in a haze, the raw emotion of her confrontation with Elouise leaving a ringing silence in the car on the way back to the penthouse. She had expected him to drop her off and retreat to his own wing, but instead he had followed her inside — a silent, imposing shadow.
He pulled back just enough to reach into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He produced a square of silk — a handkerchief, navy blue with a subtle monogram — and pressed it into her hand.