Chapter 10

Abigail’s POV

"Abigail, what's wrong?" Elijah asked, rushing to catch up with me as I ran back to the resort.

I didn't answer, too scared and worried sick to speak. My mind was racing with thoughts of what could be the problem.

As I burst through the doors of our villa, Elijah followed close behind. "Abigail, please tell me what's going on," he said, his voice filled with concern.

I tried to catch my breath, but my heart was beating too fast. I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had settled in my stomach.

"It's...it's my grandma," I stammered, trying to find my voice.

Elijah's expression changed from concern to surprise. "Your grandma? What's going on with her?"

I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But something about Elijah's kind eyes made me trust him.

“She….suddenly fell and was rushed to the hospital and so Zoey called me and told me that things are looking bad for my grandma.” I said, my voice low.

“And so I think I need to be there with her.”

Elijah's face set in a determined expression. "Then we'll go together," he said, his voice firm.

"Whatever it takes, we'll face it together."

I felt a sense of gratitude towards him, but I knew I couldn't drag him into my mess.

"No, Elijah, this is my problem. I have to handle it alone."

But Elijah just shook his head. "We're in this together, Abigail. That's what marriage means."

I looked at him, unsure of what to say. Part of me wanted that, but another part was still so not ready for this marriage.

“I appreciate your support and patience with me, but this is my business, and I think I can handle it myself. I've been handling it for a long time now, so I don't think I need your help.”

I could tell that my words hurt his feelings, as the expression on his face changed. His eyes, which had been warm and supportive, now seemed to cloud over with disappointment.

“Oh...it's fine.” he said, his voice flat.

I felt a pang of guilt for causing him pain, but I didn't know how to take it back. I wasn't used to relying on others or accepting help, especially not from someone I was still getting to know.

Elijah turned away, his jaw clenched, and walked over to the window. He stood there, staring out at the ocean, his back to me. I could sense his frustration and hurt, and I knew I had to do something to make it right.

But before I could think of what to say, he turned to face me. 'What happened to you?' he asked, his eyes searching mine.

I looked at him with a confused gaze. “What?” I replied, trying to feign ignorance.

He placed his hand into his pocket and spoke in a gentle tone. “Why are you so scared of letting me help? You're clearly in trouble, and I want to support you, but you keep pushing me away.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” I said, trying to deny it, but my voice came out weak.

Elijah took a step closer to me, his eyes locked on mine. “Don't lie to me, Abigail.

I can see the fear in your eyes. Something is haunting you, and I want to help you face it.”

I felt a lump form in my throat as he spoke. No one had ever looked at me with such kindness and concern before.

I wanted to open up to him, to tell him everything, but the fear of being vulnerable held me back.

'I...I just don't want to be a burden,' I stammered, trying to find an excuse.

Elijah's expression softened. 'You're not a burden, Abigail. You're my wife. And I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to protect and support you.'

His words touched my heart, and for a moment, I felt like I could trust him.

“Please….tell me what’s going on.”

I sighed and sat down on the bed close to the window. Tear began to gather in my eyes.

I took a deep breath and let it all spill out. “My mom died when I was young, and my dad remarried soon after.

His new wife, my stepmom, brought her own daughter, Zoey, into our family. But things took a dark turn when my stepmom started hinting that I might not be my dad's real kid, that my mom had cheated on him.”

Elijah's eyes widened in shock, and he took a step closer to me. “What? That's awful.”

I nodded, feeling the old wounds resurface. “Yeah, it was. My dad started to doubt me, to distance himself from me.

He became closer to Zoey, and my stepmom controlled him, and our family's business. She manipulated him into making decisions that benefited her and Zoey, not me.”

Elijah's face twisted in anger. “That's not fair to you.”

I shook my head. “It gets worse. When our business was in trouble, my stepmom forced me to marry you to fix it. She threatened to stop my grandma's medical treatment if I didn't comply.”

Elijah's eyes flashed with anger. “That's blackmail.”

I nodded, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “I know. I didn't want to marry you, Elijah. I didn't want to be a part of this arranged marriage. But I had no choice.”

Elijah took another step closer, his voice softening. “Abigail, I'm so sorry. I had no idea.”

I looked up at him, feeling a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could understand me, help me.

“I know you didn't. But now you do. And I need your help to fix this, to take down my stepmom and free myself from this toxic family.”

Elijah's face set in a determined expression. "We'll do it together, Abigail. We'll take down your stepmom and free you from this toxic situation."

I took a deep breath again and shared another dark secret with Elijah. “When I was young, my stepmom poisoned my food. When my dad found out, she blamed the cook and got them fired.”

Elijah's eyes widened in horror. “What? That's monstrous.”

I nodded, feeling the old fear resurface. “Since then, I couldn't eat at home, fearing I'd get poisoned again.”

Elijah's face twisted in sympathy. “Oh, Abigail, I'm so sorry. You've been through so much.”

He knelt down beside me, his eyes locked on mine.

“I promise you, Abigail, I'll help you get back at those who hurt you. We'll make them pay for what they've done.”