The CEO’ s second choice novel Chapter 39

　　Elena

　　Elijah!

　　I take in his blonde hair that had fallen out of the ponytail he had it in, and his bloody knuckles from punching Nicholas, who was now curled up in a ball on the floor. Elijah looks at me, then looks away as he takes off his suit jacket. He walks towards me with downcast eyes and covers up my torn dress.

　　I could do nothing but stare at him in a daze while my tears kept on falling. Nicholas had sexually harassed me and was about to do God knows what if Elijah didn’t step in? I couldn’t help it. I threw myself into his arms and he held me as I sobbed for my lost dignity. “Shh, it’s okay, Elena. He will not get away with this.” Elijah says, trying to console me as I wept.

　　Then he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. “Sebastian, I need you to come to the hall leading to the ladies’ room. Something has happened.” He says, then pockets his phone again.

　　The reality of his words hit me; Sebastian was coming here, and he would surely murder Nicholas.

　　“Sebastian will kill him,” I say in a whisper, and Elijah nods. “As well he should for touching you. I would kill him myself, but you are Sebastian’s, and he would want to do it for your honour.”

　　Just as he says this, I see my husband round the corner and stop in his tracks. He takes in the scene; My torn dress covered by Elijah’s jacket, Elijah’s bloody knuckles as he held me and Nicholas laying in a heap on the floor.

　　His mind puts two and two together then he loses it. As he runs towards me, Elijah lets go and my husband wraps me in his arms; then I start sobbing hard. “What happened here?” He asks Elijah through gritted teeth, and I feel the anger radiating from him. Elijah walks towards Nicholas and pulls him to his feet as he lets out a whimper. “I caught Addington here sexually harassing our Elena. He tore her dress to shreds, and he looked like he had other things on his mind as well, didn’t you Addington?” Elijah says as he faces Nicholas.

　　“Her virginity was not yours to take! Besides, she wanted it!” Nicholas calls out in a pathetic whimper and Sebastian lets me go. He walks over to Nicholas and punches him repeatedly in the stomach, then lands one on his nose.

　　I turn to look at Nicholas with a burning anger in my chest. “That’s a lie and you know it!” I scream as tears of anger now flow down my cheeks. How dare he!

　　“I will ask Sarah to get the surveillance tapes and we will see for ourselves, not that I believe a word of what you’ve said, Addington. For now, let’s get you home, love.” Sebastian says as he walks back to me and hugs me tightly. He looks towards Elijah and holds out his hand. “Elijah, I have no way to thank you for what you’ve done today. I owe you a debt, my friend.” He says, and Elijah takes his hand with a smile.

　　“I have wronged you greatly in the past, Sebastian. Consider the debt paid.” He says as he shakes my husband’s hand. Sebastian nods. “I will have this returned to you in the morning. Again, thank you, Elijah.” He says as he gestures to Elijah’s coat that was covering my beautiful, torn dress. I glance up and Elijah and I see a flash of something in his eyes hurt? Regret? I didn’t have time to figure it out, as Sebastian pulled me towards the exit.

　　What Nicholas did to me is on repeat in my mind. The man I used to love and adore wanted to rape me because I gave myself to another. How did I not see the predatory side of him before? Or did I see it, and know it was there, but then push it out of my mind?

　　All these questions run through my mind on the drive home. Sebastian had me on his lap and his arms around me, apologizing profusely for leaving me alone. As if it was his fault I had a rapist for an ex-boyfriend. “My love, this is not on you. Nicholas is unhinged because I told him I am no longer a virgin. I thought by telling him that, he would leave me alone but it just made him feel more possessive of me.” I tell him with honesty and feel the anger coming off him in waves.

　　“I should have been there, not Elijah.” He says with hurt lacing his voice, and I peer up at him. “I would have been thankful even if it was a server pulling him off me, Sebastian. The fact that it was Elijah has no effect on me.” Didn’t it, though? Elijah saved me from a fate I would not wish on any woman, and I was eternally thankful to him for it.

　　He nods then. “I’m sorry this has happened, love. I am making this about me and my ego when something terrible was done to you. Addington will pay for this, that I can promise you.” He says and holds me closer, kissing my forehead.

　　We spent the rest of the drive home in silence with one another. Sebastian called Sarah and explained what happened and why he needed those surveillance tapes. She said she would get back to him with it in the morning.

　　When we arrived at the villa, Sebastian carried me up the stairs and into our bathroom. He pushed the button to fill the spa and took Elijah’s jacket from my body. He bristled with anger as he took in the damage to my dress and how far Nicholas got with his assault to my body; blue marks were forming on my breasts where he gripped me.

　　“He will pay for this, Elena.” He repeats through gritted teeth and kisses the aching spots on my breasts. With the spa filled, I bent down to remove my underwear. But Sebastian shook his head and said he wanted to do it for me, so I allowed him to. When I was completely naked, he lowered me into the spa bath and got in behind me. We lay like this for a while until he finally spoke.

　　“I thought my greatest threat tonight would be Elijah and his advances towards you. Never in my life would I have dreamed this would happen to you, love. I am so sorry I was not there to protect you from what happened. I promise to be a better husband from here on and a better protector.”

　　The tears that were brimming my eyes fell free as his admission hit my heart. Even if Elijah tried to flirt, I would have shut him down. “My love, if Elijah flirted with me, I would have to shut him down. I am yours. That won’t change until one of us is no longer of this world.” I say and peer up at him, planting a kiss on his cheek. “I am not Isla, my loyalty lies with you and only you.”

　　He stiffens at this. Okay, maybe I took it a bit too far with the Isla bit, but he needed to realise that I was with him for life. Kissing my forehead, he sighs. “You should not have gone through what you did tonight, and we will work through the repercussions together.” He says. And this made me frown. “Repercussions?” I ask and he nods.

　　“What you went through must have been extremely traumatic, Elena. It will eat at you until you work through it, and I will be by your side, never wavering.” He says, then I finally understand what he means. And he was right. I loved Nicholas, and he betrayed me in the worst possible way.

　　I nod and he holds me close again, “I love you, Elena.”

　　Did I hear that right? Did he just admit that he loves me??? I am so stunned that I could not respond to him, and I think he must take it as me not loving him back. Afterwards, he gets out of the spa and wraps a towel around himself before heading towards me and wrapping one around my shivering frame. We head towards the walk-in, and I soak up the warmth coming from the vents on the floor. Tonight I opted for fluffy pink pyjamas and Sebastian headed to bed before me. He was quiet as we got dressed, and I wondered what was on his mind.

　　I climb under the heated comforter and snuggle into Sebastian’s arms, releasing a sigh as I finally feel home.

　　Sebastian admitted that he loved me. I think I had always known this, but we never pushed the subject. Saying it would come naturally, but it didn’t come to me at all when he said it. I was so stunned by him saying it that it rendered me speechless.

　　But do I love Sebastian? The answer was a resounding yes.

　　“I love you too, Sebastian,” I admit to him as I drift off to sleep and feel him letting out a content sigh.