"Lucas..." A man's voice echoed behind them, prompting Eloise and Lucas to turn around. Before they stood Martin, the unmistakable air of affluence surrounding him and the secretary clinging to his arm. Eloise's eyebrows arched with intrigue, processing the unexpected scene. Despite the initial surprise, Martin and his secretary, perhaps sensing the underlying tension, adorned their faces with welcoming smiles upon spotting Eloise with Lucas.
"I'm glad to see both of you," Martin declared with genuine warmth, attempting to bridge any perceived gap.
Eloise responded with a measured smile, though her eyes betrayed a subtle disdain for Martin's secretary. A friend of Madison, Eloise, had harbored a growing hatred towards her.
"Your girlfriend?" Eloise inquired, her tone laced with a hint of disgust as her gaze shifted from Martin to the secretary.
"Oh, I forgot, babe, this is Eloise, our friend. Eloise, this is Thalia, my fiancée," Martin introduced, trying to diffuse any tension.
Eloise's surprise was evident, and her thoughts surfaced with bitterness. "What is it about secretaries that always attracts the rich? Do I have to be a secretary too?" She couldn't complete her statement as Lucas discreetly elbowed her. 'Another pathetic soul who fell in love with a mere secretary!' her inner voice scoffed.
Temporarily separating from Lucas, Eloise intercepted a waiter and retrieved a lady's drink, seeking the courage to face the unexpected situation. 'I need the strength to face them both,' she resolved.
As Eloise took a deep sip, the atmosphere in the room shifted. "Ladies and gentlemen, lets all welcome Mr. and Mrs. Walton!" The announcement hung in the air, freezing Eloise in place. A sudden chill enveloped her, and each breath felt burdensome. 's**t!' she muttered internally, the gravity of the moment sinking in as the room erupted into applause for the announced couple, further intensifying the drama that lay ahead. 'What is happening to me?' Eloise's world seemed to tilt as if she were on the precipice of imbalance, ready to fall. Yet, to her surprise, she felt a steady support at her back, a reassuring presence preventing her descent.
"Careful," a voice urged, prompting Eloise to turn. There stood Lucas, a pillar of strength in the disorienting swirl of emotions.
"Thank you. This party is killing me," Eloise remarked, a veneer of irritation concealing the maelstrom of emotions churning within her.
Lucas, attuned to the turmoil beneath her composed exterior, tenderly placed his hand on her cheek. Her instinct was to pull away, but he moved closer, bridging the emotional gap that threatened to engulf her.
"Just be with me. Don't leave my side, please?" Lucas pleaded, his words carrying a sense of urgency. Eloise caught between the fragments of her own unraveling emotions, nodded slowly, consenting to his request. With a protective hand on her waist, they navigated the crowd, heading towards the spectacle unfolding on the platform.
Eloise's breath caught as she laid eyes on Martin. He stood confidently, addressing the gathering while holding his wife at the waist. The image struck her with a force she hadn't anticipated.
Glancing at Madison, Eloise's gaze fixated on her stomach. 'She's pregnant?' The revelation felt like a barrage of needles relentlessly piercing her heart. A thin sweat formed on her forehead, and an unsettling chill permeated the air. Her eyes stung, the familiar intro to tears threatening to spill over. She fought the urge to cry, battling to maintain control over the storm of emotions raging within her. Each heartbeat echoed the painful reality of her unspoken anguish as she continued to tread the precarious line between composure and collapse.
The sight of Martin and Madison and the embodiment of their love's fruition sent a pang through Eloise's heart. As she glanced at Lucas, a subtle smile played on his lips. Unaware of the truth, she might have misconstrued his expression as that of someone who had effortlessly moved on. Little did she know the intricacies that lay beneath his calm facade.
Martin and Madison gracefully descended from the platform, greeted warmly by friends eager to share in their joy.
"How many months?" Eloise inquired, her eyes fixed on the couple.
"Six months. They're both vampires now," Lucas revealed.
Eloise forced a smile, bitterness tainting her thoughts. 'This is getting worse. Did I make the wrong decision to return? Will I have more trouble?' Her situation weighed heavily on her, and uncertainty lingered like a shadow.