Chapter 3: Elliot!

Alexia pulled her Mercedes up to the liquor store, determined to buy some red wine and dark chocolate. She wasn't a drinker, but wine helped her unwind and calm down when the weight of it all became too much. Dark chocolate complemented the wine perfectly. It was her way of coping, a quiet moment of indulgence she definitely deserved.

She had $43.82 in her checking account, but when she went up to check out to use her debit card, she checked her checking account balance, and it showed $100,043.82.

SURPRRISE! Yes, Elliot had $100K transferred directly into her bank account. She still had the same bank account as when they were together.

She left her items at the checkout counter and left the store.

"Well hell, might as well go buy the good stuff."

Sliding into her Mercedes and using GPS, she located an upscale liquor store three miles away.

"Damn you, Elliot. I hate you!"

With her bag in hand, she walks up the stone steps, and rings the doorbell… and Georgia greets her and opens the door.

Georgia notices the bag with wine in a black decorative designer bag with the name 'Mali Lali' stitched on the outside in gold.

"Oh, I see, you met the Mali and Lali sisters today?" said Georgia.

"Who?"

Georgia points to the designer bag.

"I guess I did. I found what I was looking for," said Alexia, while looking at the bag. She walks toward her wing of the estate.

"Miss Marque."

"Yes."

"Two envelopes were delivered for you an hour ago," said Georgia as she handed Alexia the two envelopes.

"See you at dinner at 7. Special attire?"

"Not necessary. It is served in the small dining room," said Georgia.

She put the envelopes in the bag with her two bottles of wine and a box of gourmet dark chocolate and continued walking to her wing of the estate.

In her kitchen, she takes everything out of the designer tote bag. She preferred her wine chilled, along with her dark chocolate. When she opened the refrigerator door, she noticed a box of the exact dark chocolates she had just bought was waiting for her; then she looked around and noticed a wine cooler; when she opened it, there were three bottles already chilled.

"Damn you, Elliot. You haven't forgotten anything. Damn you, anyway."

Alexia knew what the two envelopes were: a business credit card and a personal credit card with her name on it, a note in Elliot's handwriting:

"Alexia, for your personal needs. Elliot."

She didn't have to check the amounts because she knew they had no limit.

She opened a chilled bottle of wine and poured it into the wineglass with her name engraved in script: Alexia.

"You planned everything down to the smallest detail. Just wait. My revenge will be ten times worse than what you did to me. You want fire! You got it!"

At seven, Alexia sat at the dining table. The aroma of filet steak filled the air, mingling with the rich scent of freshly baked potato and spinach salad. The food was exquisite.

Alexia's stomach growled, not from hunger, but from the decisions she'd made. Yet, the past 24 hours plagued her. She couldn't stop reliving the moment Elliot showed up at her old studio apartment.

The house, the grand estate, the endless luxuries… it was all too much. Too perfect. Too manipulative. But it was the only way forward, whether she liked it or not.

After the meal, Alexia excused herself. She felt drained, both physically and emotionally, and needed to retreat. It had been a long day, filled with decisions she never wanted to make.

The next morning, after eating breakfast, Georgia removed the contents from an envelope.

"Alexia, here are two keys. One to your back entrance to your living quarters, and this key is the main front entrance," said Georgia as she handed them to her.

"Thank you."

"When you're done here, I've asked Anna to return to your studio and show you how to use our security system. She has your security code number. She will show you where to park when you're staying in and overnight."

"Thank you," said Alexia, turning toward Anna. "Anna, I'll be ready in just a little bit."

"No problem. Do you need help in the studio?" asked Anna.

"No, thank you. I prefer to do it myself, so I know where everything is."

A few minutes later, while Anna is showing the security system, Alexia needed to verify a few things that were on her mind before she dived into the room.

"Anna, how many staff members are there that live onsite?"

"Well, including me, there's ten. Why? Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no. The only staff members you haven't met are Sofia and Maria. They are maids like me. Also, Ricardo is the gardener, and the security team: Macon, and Jacob.

"Thank you."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, just wondered. Well, I need to get busy."

Alexia started arranging and moving things to how she likes to work.

It was after 9 pm when Elliot arrived home. This trip was more intense than usual; he was glad to be home.

"Mr. Cummings, Marcella made fresh peach tea today. Would you like a glass of it?"

"Yes. That would be nice, Georgia."

With a glass of peach tea, he walked straight to Alexia's wing of the house and opened the door to her studio. His curiosity peaked as he noticed the door was slightly ajar.

Without knocking, he stepped inside.

The first thing he noticed was the painting she had named "Hate." It was still wet, vivid, and raw. It stood there on the easel, showing Alexia's hate for her current situation.

He stopped in his tracks.

Before he could fully study it, Alexia appeared.

Elliot moved closer, his eyes still staring at the painting. He could feel her presence behind him, her anger growing, but it wasn't just anger; it was something deeper, something he'd never expected.

"What's with the painting?"

"Do you really want to talk about that?"

Elliot didn't respond immediately. "I didn't know it would turn out like that. But I had no choice, Alexia. You were drowning. I couldn't just let you go."

"Damn you, Elliot! You think you saved me? You're the reason I'm here. You set me up, Elliot. I had exhibitions planned. I had a life before you came back into it. Damn you!"

He looked away. The guilt had been constant since the first moment he abandoned her, but he had no choice. "I didn't want to hurt you," he said softly.

"Then why did you? Tell me why!"

"I did it because I didn't know how else to make you listen," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Damn you!"

"I thought that if I could provide you with the space you needed, the right environment for your work, you'd see... what we could have. What could I offer you?"

"You think you own me? Is that it? Can you just buy me? Because that's what this is, isn't it? Buying my silence, buying my work."

Elliot's shoulders stiffened, and for the first time, he felt the full weight of her words. He had crossed a line. He had done this to himself.

"I didn't think you'd see it that way," he muttered, taking a step back. "But if that's how you feel..."

"Don't try to fix it now. You've already taken everything I had left. And for what?"

"I never wanted to take anything from you, Alexia. Only to give you the chance you deserved."

But she wasn't listening anymore. She had heard it all before.

"Spare me! You've never given me anything but empty promises! Damn you, Elliot!"