Chapter 2
387words
My cousin Marcus was my only lifeline. He flew in from London the day after I called him. His face darkened when he saw my condition.
"I'll kill him," Marcus said, pacing my hotel room. "I swear I'll destroy him for this."
I shook my head, one hand protectively over my stomach. "I just need to start over."
Marcus owned properties worldwide through his entertainment empire. He offered me a small apartment in Paris. Far from Alexander's reach, far from the memories.
The French doctors were kind when I explained my situation. "Your baby is healthy, madame," the obstetrician assured me. "A strong little fighter."
I spent those nine months rebuilding myself piece by piece. My jewelry design skills became my salvation. I sketched constantly, creating pieces that told stories of rebirth.
Marcus visited monthly, bringing supplies and encouragement. "You're stronger than you know, Elise," he would say. "This pain will transform you."
When Leo was born, I cried for hours holding his tiny body. He had Alexander's eyes, that same piercing blue that once made my heart race. Now they were a painful reminder.
The first year passed in a blur of sleepless nights and small victories. I sold my first jewelry collection to a boutique in Montmartre. The owner praised my "unique perspective on beauty and pain."
I named my brand "Nemesis" – the goddess of retribution against those who show arrogance. Each piece I created carried my story, my quiet fury.
By Leo's second birthday, fashion magazines featured my work. "Revolutionary," they called it. "Hauntingly beautiful." They had no idea each design was born from my heartbreak.
Marcus helped me establish proper business connections. "You're going to be bigger than you imagine," he promised. "And when you're ready, we'll return to face him."
The tabloids began linking Marcus and me romantically. Photos of us with Leo created the perfect illusion of a family. Marcus never corrected the assumptions.
"Let them think what they want," he said when I questioned him. "It protects you both."
I wasn't sure that day would ever come. But fate has a strange way of circling back to unfinished business.
