Chapter 9: The Offer

The grand ballroom of the Moriarty estate was dimly lit, a soft golden glow from the chandeliers casting an almost surreal atmosphere over the room. Alice sat at one of the round tables, her hands clasped in her lap, waiting for Elliot. It was one of their scheduled meetings, a formality as part of their engagement preparations. The room, designed for grandiose events, felt oddly empty, much like her heart as she waited for the man she was soon to marry.

Elliot entered a few minutes later, his dark tailored suit hugging his form with precision, his movements confident and deliberate. There was an air of purpose around him now, a far cry from the bumbling, awkward Elliot she had known. As he approached her, Alice's gaze flickered over his face, searching for any sign of warmth or hesitation, but all she found was the cool mask he had worn since his transformation.

"Alice," he greeted her, nodding politely before taking a seat across from her. His voice was calm, steady, and devoid of emotion.

"Elliot," she replied, her tone more tentative, unsure of how to navigate the distance that had grown between them. She had spent the past few days replaying their past in her mind, trying to reconcile the man in front of her with the boy she had pushed away for so long. The regret still lingered heavily, a weight she couldn't shake.

For a few moments, silence hung between them, thick and heavy. The only sound was the faint ticking of a nearby clock, marking each passing second with an almost oppressive rhythm. Alice bit her lip, wondering if this was how their entire future together would be—formal, distant, and devoid of any real connection.

Just as the tension began to feel unbearable, Elliot spoke, his voice cutting through the quiet like a knife. "Alice, before this marriage happens… there's something you need to know."

Her heart skipped a beat, a sudden fear creeping into her chest. His tone was serious, more serious than she had expected. "What is it?" she asked, leaning in slightly.

Elliot looked at her, his gaze piercing yet unreadable. For a moment, his usual guarded expression softened, but it was fleeting. "I've been through things—things you don't know about, things that have changed me. This engagement, this marriage... it doesn't have to happen if you don't want it."

Alice blinked, her mind racing. "What are you saying?"

"I'm giving you a chance," Elliot continued, his voice low but firm. "If you want out, now's the time. Before we go any further, you need to know who I am now—not who I used to be."

Her breath caught in her throat. A chance to leave? She hadn't expected this. After all the time their families had spent arranging the marriage, after all the pressure, it had seemed like an inevitable path. And yet, here was Elliot, offering her an escape.

"But... why?" she whispered, searching his face for answers.

He looked away, his jaw tightening, as if wrestling with something deep inside. "Because I'm not the man you think I am, Alice. I've changed. And not just because of business or the expectations placed on me. I've seen things, experienced things that... I don't think I'll ever fully recover from."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Elliot let out a slow breath, his hands resting on the table, fingers tapping absently. "After I was kidnapped, after everything they did to me... I've had trouble sleeping. The nightmares, the memories, they don't go away." His voice grew softer, almost haunted. "I have... PTSD. There are nights when I don't sleep at all. There are days when I can barely function because of it. I don't want you to go into this marriage not knowing that."

Alice felt her heart clench. She had known, on some level, that Elliot's ordeal had changed him, but he had never spoken about it, not in any real detail. Hearing him now, his voice so controlled yet laden with unspoken pain, brought a new depth to the man he had become.

"I didn't know..." she began, but her words trailed off, unsure of how to respond.

Elliot shook his head, cutting her off gently. "I didn't expect you to. But I need you to understand. This marriage... for me, it's business now. It's about family, legacy, and responsibility. The things I used to care about—romance, adoration, love... I don't know if I can give that to you anymore."

His words hung in the air like a weight, pressing down on her chest. The Elliot who had once chased after her, who had doted on her with innocent affection, was gone. In his place was a man hardened by trauma, a man who viewed their union as nothing more than a necessary transaction.

Alice's mind spun as she tried to process everything. A year ago, she would have leapt at the opportunity to break off the engagement. She had despised Elliot's attention, his constant efforts to win her over. But now, sitting across from him, she realized how much had changed—not just in him, but in herself.

She had pushed him away when he was vulnerable, when he needed her approval. And now, he no longer needed her at all.

Her voice was barely a whisper when she finally spoke. "And if I stay? What happens then?"

Elliot's gaze met hers, steady and unwavering. "If you stay, we'll go through with the marriage. But it will be a partnership, not a romance. I won't pretend to be the man you rejected before, Alice. I can't be that person anymore."

She swallowed hard, the enormity of his words sinking in. This was the reality now—a marriage built on duty, not affection. A partnership forged in the fires of their families' ambitions, not love.

But despite the coldness of it all, despite the distance Elliot had put between them, Alice couldn't deny the pull she still felt toward him. The regret gnawed at her, the weight of her past rejections pressing down on her.

"I..." she hesitated, unsure of her own feelings. "I don't want to leave, Elliot."

He studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure," she said, her voice trembling but firm.

Elliot gave a slow nod, his face unreadable. "Alright, then. But understand this, Alice—this marriage won't be what you once imagined. You'll be part of the Moriarty legacy, but that's all it will be."

Alice nodded, though her heart ached. She had made her choice, and now she had to live with it. There was no turning back.

As Elliot stood to leave, she felt the full weight of the future pressing down on her shoulders. A partnership built on power, on business, on legacy. And she had no one to blame but herself for what had been lost.