ELENA'S POINT OF VIEW
His arms were crossed. His jaw was tense. Even bored, he looked impossibly sharp. His presence filled the room without a single word being spoken.
Then everyone turned to look at me.
Henry stopped talking.
Alex's eyes locked on mine.
For a moment, the world froze.
Then Alex stood slowly. His expression softened just a fraction, almost tender. That alone shocked me.
He walked toward me with measured steps and placed a light hand on my arm.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," he said smoothly. "I will return shortly."
He guided me out of the room, closing the door behind us.
The softness disappeared instantly.
His hand dropped. His face hardened.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, voice flat.
"I needed to talk to you," I said quietly.
"About what?"
"About work."
He stared at me for a long moment, then turned and walked to another door. His private office. He opened it.
"Inside."
I stepped in. The room was huge, lined with floor-to-ceiling windows. Everything looked expensive, polished, and powerful.
He shut the door behind us. "Explain."
"I cannot just sit at home doing nothing. I need to work. I am not used to that life."
"You do not need to work. You are my wife."
His words were meant to be cold, practical, but for a moment, my heart skipped, a small flicker of something I wasn't ready to name. I knew he was saying it to keep up appearances, to protect his image, not because he truly meant it. Still, hearing those words sent a strange warmth through me, even if I tried to push it away.
"But I want to," I said quickly. "I need something to do."
He rubbed his temple. "What kind of work?"
"You told your parents I was a model," I reminded him.
"I did."
"Then maybe I should actually become one."
His eyes narrowed. "You have never modeled before."
"I know."
"Do you even understand what it takes?"
"No. But I can learn."
He turned away, staring out the window. A long silence followed.
Finally, he said, "Fine. You can model."
Relief washed over me. "Thank you."
"But there is one condition." His voice sharpened.
"What condition?" I asked quickly.
"You do it seriously. No lazy attempts. No embarrassing stunts."
"I will not embarrass you."
"You better not."
I took a breath. "Alex, I want to find the agency myself. I want to find work on my own. Please."
He looked at me like I had said something ridiculous.
"You want to find it yourself," he repeated slowly.
"Yes. I do not want to be handed anything just because I married you. I want to earn it."
Silence stretched for several seconds.
Then he nodded once. "Fine. Do it yourself."
My eyes widened. "Really?"
"But remember something, Elena." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You are not Elena Hart anymore. You are Elena Reyes. You represent this family. Wherever you go, whatever you do, do not embarrass us. Do not make me regret this."
His words pressed against my chest like a weight.
"I understand," I whispered.
He said nothing else. Just turned back to his desk.
Dismissed.
I stepped back into the hallway, still trembling a little, and nearly bumped into someone.
"Oh. I am sorry," I said quickly.
"Mrs. Reyes."
I looked up. Henry.
"Holy... Henry. It's you."
He laughed softly. "Of course, it's me. How are you?"
"I am fine. How are you? How is your wife?"
His smile turned warm. "She is well. Still pregnant and still grumpy, but well."
I laughed.
I was about to leave when something tugged at me.
"Henry... Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Why did you choose me? To be Alex's bride?"
He blinked, clearly surprised. Then he gave a small, fond smile.
"Because you had what it takes."
"What does that mean?"
He leaned against the wall. "Do you remember the day we met at the hospital?"
I nodded slowly.
"My wife was miserable that day. Pregnant. Tired. Irritated. Nothing I did made her smile."
I listened quietly.
"But then you walked past her. You said something small. Something simple. And she smiled. You made her smile without even trying."
My throat tightened.
"At that moment," he continued, "I thought to myself, if she can handle my miserable pregnant wife, then she can handle my even more impossible boss."
A startled laugh escaped me. "You are saying Alex is like a pregnant woman?"
"Worse," Henry said with a grin. "Much worse. Mood swings, unreasonable demands, and constant irritation. If you could make Sophia smile, then I knew you could handle him."
I shook my head, smiling. "That is not what I expected."
"Life rarely gives us what we expect."
I hesitated. "Well... thank you. For choosing me."
"You are welcome. And Mrs. Reyes?"
I was still not used to that name.
"Yes?"
"You are doing better than you think."
His words warmed me more than the sunlight coming through the windows.
"Thank you, Henry. Please tell your wife I said hello."
"I will."
I walked toward the elevator with my heart feeling strangely full.
Henry chose me because I made someone smile.
Such a small thing. Such a simple act.
The elevator doors slid shut and I leaned back, releasing a long breath.
I was Elena Reyes now.
Mrs. Reyes.
The laptop screen glowed in front of me as I sat on my bed, tabs open across the top like a messy stack of possibilities. I'd been scrolling for over an hour, clicking through modeling agency websites until they all started to blur together.
Glamour Models. Elite Fashion House. Starlight Agency.
They all looked the same. Polished. Perfect. Intimidating.
I leaned back against the headboard, rubbing my tired eyes. This was harder than I thought it would be. Every agency wanted experience. Portfolio. References. Things I didn't have.
Because I wasn't a model. I was a cleaner pretending to be something I wasn't.
My finger hovered over the mouse, ready to close the laptop and give up for the day.
Then I saw it.
Blake Modeling Enterprise.
The website was sleek but not overly flashy. Professional. The photos showed models of different types. Different looks. It didn't feel as exclusive as the others.
I clicked on the "Apply Now" button before I could talk myself out of it.
The application form is loaded. Name. Age. Contact information. Upload photos.
I filled it out carefully, my fingers trembling slightly over the keyboard.
When I reached the name field, I paused.
Elena Reyes.
That's what I should write. That's who I was now.
But something inside me resisted.
If I used that name, they'd hire me because of Alex. Because of his power. His influence. His money.
I didn't want that.
I wanted this to be mine. Something I earned. Something real.
I deleted "Reyes" and typed my old name instead.
Elena Hart.
It felt strange seeing it again. Like putting on old clothes that didn't quite fit anymore.
But it was honest.
I uploaded the few photos I had. Simple ones. Nothing professional. Then I attached a scanned copy of my identification and hit submit before I could second-guess myself.
The screen flashed. "Application received. We will contact you within 3 to 5 business days."
I closed the laptop and exhaled slowly.
Now all I could do was wait.