Chapter 2 Is This How Your Family Is Treated

Ashley was filled with unease. She had not anticipated encountering Elijah so soon after their last night's encounter.

Her body still ached, and she concealed the marks scattered across her skin beneath her clothes.

As she approached, the window of the sports car suddenly closed.

Elijah departed silently.

At that moment, the laughter around her was both unmistakable and harsh.

"Who does she think she is, trying to approach Elijah? It's laughable."

"Why is an outsider present at our family event?"

Ashley cast her gaze downward, yet inside, she felt a surge of relief.

Fortunately, Elijah was unaware she was the woman from last night.

She needed to safeguard herself. To avoid becoming a pawn in their games, she had to strategize her exit from the engagement.

Elijah was merely a last resort, and she realized he would not protect her merely because they had been intimate.

Confronting him was too risky. Given his nature, he might well be the first to retaliate.

Ashley entered the mansion following her foster mother, as Daniel was ushered in by a servant.

"Daniel is your fiancé, so naturally, he must join us at the Warren family's banquet," Claire remarked, seizing every opportunity to enhance her standing.

Before the meal commenced, everyone settled into their places.

The seating at the banquet was arranged by hierarchy.

Robert occupied the head of the table, leaving the second most significant seat to his right vacant.

Once eager for such gatherings, Daniel now found himself isolated at the table's far end, his demeanor souring.

He had tolerated the disgrace of this engagement, hoping to leverage the Kirk family's ties to forge a connection with the Warrens.

"Is this how your family is treated?" Daniel protested.

Ashley offered no contradiction.

Her stepfather, David Kirk, had been Robert's adopted son. Following her first marriage, Claire had wed David, who had no children of his own and thus raised Claire's three daughters. The Warrens had respected David, accepting him as family. However, he had passed away years ago.

Robert maintained the Kirk family's presence out of respect for David's sake, and Elijah, merely seven years Ashley's senior, was deemed her honorary uncle.

Despite the Kirks' inclusion, the Warrens had no love for them.

The banquet had not started yet.

The table brimmed with delicious dishes, yet no one dared to eat before Robert's signal.

Elijah, whom Robert had held this banquet for, was nowhere in sight.

"Go and fetch Elijah," Mila Warren, the Warren family's eldest daughter, urged.

Mila matched any man in ambition. Through her arrangements, her husband took her family name, and their children bore the surname Warren.

"Seeing him is even challenging for us," Wyatt Warren, the second son, commented with a knowing smile.

"It's been three years since you two last saw me. I didn't realize you missed me this much," Elijah remarked as he entered, his stature instantly drawing the room's focus.

Standing nearly six feet three, he was dressed in a black shirt and pants, his presence both striking and immediately engaging.

"Sorry for the delay, Dad. I had matters to attend to," Elijah said, taking the seat to Robert's right, which showed his standing in the family.

With Elijah seated, the banquet commenced.

"Elijah, you've diligently managed the family business abroad for the last three years. Now that you're back, I entrust the Daville operations to you," Robert announced.

Mila and Wyatt appeared uneasy with Elijah's return.

Ashley observed Elijah from afar.

Although he was famous for being cold and ruthless in Daville, Elijah's appearance was both mesmerizing and intimidating. His piercing eyes and the sharp contour of his nose and lips gave him an aura of a sovereign ruler.

His formidable presence was even more daunting in intimate settings.

Ashley averted her gaze swiftly.

Suddenly, Elijah regarded her with a piercing look.

As the banquet progressed, Elijah was the center of attention.

"Elijah, did you discover any treasures at the auction last night?" someone inquired.

A smile crossed Elijah's face as he reminisced. "Yes, there was one piece particularly rewarding to handle."

"You didn't come home last night, did you?" Wyatt prodded subtly.

"I had just returned from overseas and was welcomed with a significant gift. It demanded my immediate attention," Elijah responded, his voice rich with amusement.

Ashley's cheeks warmed as she remembered last night.

Was she reading too much into it?

Surely, he hadn't recognized her.

"I heard we've got some good news recently," Elijah said nonchalantly.

No response came at first.

"Yes, there is good news," Claire declared, rising with a flirtatious smile. "Ashley and Daniel are engaged. Elijah, since you've just returned, let them toast to you."

Ashley felt a surge of unease—this was definitely not welcome news.

Beside her, Daniel was visibly excited, seizing his chance to speak with Elijah.

Elijah reclined in his seat, his deep eyes narrowing, his expression unreadable.

Overwhelmed, Ashley looked down, too anxious to even draw a deep breath.

Ashley and Daniel raised their glasses in Elijah's direction.

However, he ignored the gesture. "How should you address me?"

"Elijah, I'm from the Blake family—" Daniel began, eagerly seizing the moment.

"Did I tell you to speak?" Elijah's chilly voice, heavy with authority, silenced the room.

If he didn't want Daniel to speak, it was Ashley's turn.

Memories of the previous night haunted Ashley, but she maintained her composure.

With a deep breath, she called out, "Uncle Elijah."

Elijah pretended not to hear, casually touching his left ear, his tone becoming sharp and commanding. "Louder!"

His gesture caused a hush to fall over the crowd.

Since his left ear was impaired, he relied on a hearing aid.

What might have been fodder for ridicule instead underscored the gravity of Elijah's stern demeanor.

Removing his hearing aid was a known prelude to his anger, a situation everyone preferred to avoid.

Ashley's hands shook slightly, her fear mirroring that of everyone else in the room.

She clearly remembered he had issued the same command last night.

It was clear Elijah was testing her.

Gradually, Ashley lifted her gaze, struggling to read the impenetrable darkness in his eyes.

Submissively, she shifted into a posture of reverence, looking up at him. Her voice was gentle, yielding. "Uncle Elijah."

In Elijah's formidable gaze, she was but a small, compliant creature.

Elijah clinked glasses with her, sipping his wine with a cold curl of his lips.

"Since this is joyous news for the family, I will arrange a lavish gift for you," he remarked, his smile chilling rather than comforting.

As the banquet continued, Claire took Ashley aside to give her a dance dress.

"Robert's attention today is on your engagement. You should perform a dance later to ensure everyone is impressed," Claire directed.

"Understood, Mom," Ashley responded, masking her profound disgust with a smile.

Claire had raised her to be accomplished, meticulously training her in music, chess, piano, and dance, shaping her into an ideal showcase.

Ashley detested every performance, where her value was judged by obedience and beauty, aiming solely to garner a man's approval. She felt like an ornament, shackled by golden chains within the elite social circles.

While changing in the bathroom, Ashley suddenly felt large hands on her bare back.

Startled, she turned, only to have those hands press painfully on a sore spot from last night, causing her to cry out sharply.

Looking up, she saw Elijah standing before her, fear flooding her body.

"Uncle Elijah—" she murmured, her voice shaking.

Elijah stepped closer, effectively trapping her. "You fled so hastily last night, and now you act as if you've forgotten. Your coy act is far more convincing than your efforts in bed."

He loomed over her. His hand pressed against her, tracing the contours of her body he claimed last night.

Then, he grasped her neck with one hand, slowly tightening his hold.

"Who sent you to my bed, Ashley?" he demanded, his tone icy and menacing.

A wave of intense fear overwhelmed Ashley.

Was Elijah going to kill her?