x.

IT STARTED RAINING HEAVILY OUTSIDE—THE PARISIAN sky draining itself onto the city below as Laurentine Bonfamille struggled to see outside the carriage window, the view of the passing streets draped in a translucent yet thick white curtain crashing without pause onto the ground.

Laur was already drenched. In her haste and desperation, she had resolved to ignore Manon's exclaims about taking an umbrella, her heart pounding against her ribcage as she handed Berlioz over to the maid and rushed outside to mount the carriage, her hands gripping the skirts of her dress, no faux fur warming secure around her neck, her lavishly curled and previously pinned hair immediately drenching in the short while it took to for her mount the carriage and shut the door behind her.

She had left Manon with the instruction to immediately send for Georges Hautcourt-Laur's lawyer-and tell him that she was waiting for him at the police station.

That was all Laurentine could think to do, for at present, her mind had gone entirely numb in her panic. Her hands shook—and not because they were drenched and cold. Shivers cascaded down her spine, and she felt.. terrified.

What had Colette done? What had Adelaide done? Laur could not think of who to blame, though she found that she desperately wanted to. Colette was the older one, she should have known better to misguide Adelaide and should have abandoned the endeavor at the first sign of legal trouble. But Adelaide wasn't a sheep, she firmly directed every cause she was in, and refused to follow directions that did not align with her. Mon Dieu, who was to blame? Why had the both of them hid their troubles from Laur?

Perhaps it was Laurentine's own fault. She was on a stupid dinner date, blushing and flirting whilst her little sister and best friend were getting hauled off into police custody. She should have pressed harder, she should have pestered them almost, Mon Dieu, she should have taken more of a persistent interest in their affairs than she already had. She should have demanded to know every single detail of their process, and she should not have cared that it would annoy both the girls and drive them away from her.

For anything would have been better than them getting in legal trouble. Anything would have been better than her little sister getting put in a cell.

Laur couldn't even begin to fathom how such a grievous conclusion had even occurred. Adelaide was well read, and an educated girl—Mon Dieu, she was sickingly over well read as far as Laur could tell. And Colette? The girl had experience, and was wiser surely? How could things have gone so terribly awry for both of them?

Laurentine Bonfamille shivered as cold winds tore inside the carriage, bringing splashes of heavy rain that drenched her lavender dress more. The heavy purple gem studded bodice kept her somewhat warm and stable at her chest and stomach, whilst her legs—clad in the silken and tulle layered skirts of her gown—suffered in the cold. Her shoulders and neck too—both bare and still sporting her jewelry—suffered as well, and she could do nothing by hold her elbows close to herself and think of her sister and Colette.

The carriage raced, the diver adhering to the instructions that Laur had given him, and thus she was rocking too much inside and to hold onto the seats to support herself.

Her eardrums were pressured with all the heavy sounds around her—the battering of the thundering rain outside, her clamor of her heart, the raging sound of the winds, the noise of the racing carriage. Everything overwhelmed her, and the emotions she was feeling terrorized her in fear.

When was the last time she had felt this scared?

Adelaide getting into trouble absolutely wrecked Laurentine's composure, making her tremble like a leaf. When as a girl of twelve she had been sent to a different orphanage, Laur had experienced these very same feelings. Fear that someone might hurt her sister in her absence, guilt that she had not somehow prevented the outcome, hatred at herself for being so ignorant, terrified of the fact that she would never be able to make things right again.

The mere realization that she was feeling all those feelings terrorize her again-when once she had silently promised to herself that she would never be in that position again-made Laur's eyes sting and fill up with tears, as the beasts started pouring down her cheeks and she tried to stifle her sobs.

Had she never truly fixed anything at all? Had all her hard work been for naught? Would the universe always make her relive the heartaches and terror of her girlhood, however many times it wanted to, regardless of Laur pretending like she had moved on?

Adelaide would be alright, Laurentine believed that. The girl was in police custody, not in the hands of an ignorant orphanage madam who hadn't even cared enough to make her eat, when her elder sister had been sent away. Adelaide would be alright, she was Laurentine Bonfamille's—Paris' renowned opera performer's—younger sister, and Laur had money and influence galore at her disposal to fight against the man who had filed against her sister and friend.

The reassurance, however, did not assure Laur enough to stop her tears. For her emotions were battling with something far deeper entirely. Adelaide trouble had made a cascade of buried memories rise to Laurentine's consciousness, and her heart felt as though somebody had it gripped in their palm, tightening their hold on it mercilessly.

Laurentine felt.. weak. She felt as though everything inside her had come crashing down. The memory of Adelaide's ten year old malnutritioned form-her bones sticking out and her cheeks pushed terrifyingly inwards in her face—when Laur had escaped from her own orphanage with Colette and broken her sister out from the old one, was now stark in her mind. That memory was now—without Laurentine's permission—was giving rise to more harrowing ones, and Laur clasped her head with both hands, fighting against them.

It had taken only a single mistake by Adelaide and Colette, to unravel Laur's psyche and shatter her resolve.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt then, and the jolting askew way it grounded to a stop almost threw Laurentine against the seats. She looked out of the window, squinting her eyes to peer through the heavy rain in the darkness of this night.

They had not stopped at the police station, and before Laur could scramble to think of an explanation, the carriage drover was on foot, opening the door of the vehicle and letting her know that one of the wheels had broken and the carriage could go no further.

"The police station a bit further down this street, mademoiselle," The man shouted against the pelting of the rain, already drenched in his working attire as he grabbed onto his hat with both his hands to prevent it from blowing away in the thunderous winds.

"If you wait a minute, surely we can secure another carriage for you-"

But Laur did not let him finish, she was already gripping her drenched skirts and preparing to step down the carriage. She stood on the ground, feeling the heavy rain completely cover her, putting immense pressure on her head and shoulders as she fought against not being weighed down.

"Mademoiselle, you mustn't!" The driver shouted. "Please, wait. A carriage will come along this street in no time."

"I can't wait," Laurentine managed, before starting to run down the side of the street, gripping her skirts as she passed by darkened establishments closed for business at this time of night.

There were some men and women hurrying past too, but they all had sturdy umbrellas at their disposal, and as Laur pushed past them in her drenched evening gown, they cast her brief concerned looks, before ducking their heads under their shelters and scurrying off on their ways.

Her tears had stopped now, for her worry for her sister and friend too was greater and consuming at present, more so then her past traumas coming back to haunt her tonight of all nights.

The rain was ice pelting down on her body, and she was almost dizzy with the force of it, but her desperation fought back, and soon she could make out the board of the police station hung over the establishment in the distance. It was one of the few places on the otherwise darkened street still emanating lights, and Laur followed the guide of the lights as she quickened her pace and approached the steps of the police station.

Two police men sat seated by the entrance under a nylon shelter that covered the entrance and the front few steps of the establishment, and at the sight of a drenched running woman, both of the men sprang up to attention.

Laur hurried to climb the steps, her her heeled shoes tapping against the granite as she neared the men.

"Please, I'm here for Adelaide Bonfamille and Colette Blanc," Laurentine breathed, her chest heaving. "They were taken into custody about an hour or two ago."

The man she had spoken to sported a conflicted expression, torn briefly between natural human instincts and the instincts his job required that he had. The latter won.

"What relation do you have to either, mademoiselle?"

"I'm Laurentine Bonfamille," Laur managed. "Adelaide is my sister, and Mademoiselle Blanc is my friend, I'm responsible for both. My lawyer will be at the station in no time."

The man exchanged a look with the other police guard, and an affirmation passed between their gazes.

"Very well, mademoiselle," The man she had spoken to looked at her. "If you will please follow me."

Laurentine followed the stout uniformed man into the police station, where solitary glass bulbs hanging from the ceiling were sprouting yellow light at a distance of every 10 feet from each other on the ceiling.

She was encased in a relief from the heavy rain outside, but her wet form was already turning to ice as she bit her lip to stop from shivering.

A stern spectacled woman was seated at what appeared to be the reception area, though she had barely any proper light to work, she was still vigorously penning down a complaint that another woman—draped in dirty shawls—was hushing aggressively to her. As Laur passed them by, she could had overheard a few words to tell her that the complaint was about an abusive husband.

Laurentine swallowed thickly, her heart trembling in her chest. The atmosphere was already weighing her down more than the rain outside even had. She let go of her skirts, feeling her fingers ache as she tried to relax them. Her hands were still shaking.

Laur couldn't tell where she was being taken first. She wanted to see Adelaide and Colette first, but from the turn the police guard made towards an office room, she was sure she was being taken to talk first.

She did not want that right now. What decisions could she make when her mind was all scrambled and her heart threatened to choke her throat? She needed to see her sister first, she needed to assure herself that both Adelaide and Colette were alright.

At the end of what she could only call the main hallway, she saw a door that she was certain would lead her to the cells. There was no way that such a door—half ajar and built of daunting iron instead of normal wooden doors that other rooms along this hallways had—lead to anything but the cells.

The police guard stepped aside to gesture her to enter the office room, and Laur heard rapid conversation inside cease when people inside anticipated another arrival.

"I'm sorry monsieur," Laur managed, "I need to see my sister first."

With that, she gripped her skirts and ran past him and past the open office door, running towards the iron door and slipped through it as she heard shouts escalate at her back.

Her assumptions had been correct, for Laur was in the cells portion of the police station. Solitary cells lined either side of her, marred with a hallway in between where she presently found herself standing. All the cells were separated from each other from the inside, and Laurentine anxiously peered in each to try find the face of her sister and friend.

Some cells were empty as she went along, others were occupied with lazy or sleeping occupants. Some people saw her and tried to approach the bars to near her, but she had already passed them by.

"Adelaide!" Laur called then, not caring if she would disturb the inhabitants of this damp and dark place, "Colette!"

"Sister?" A shaky but familiar voice came then. "Sister, we are here!"

Laurentine ran towards the sound, stopping by a cell that was not too far down in the hallway, but stood smack in the middle.

Adelaide and Colette were both inside, the former gripping the bars with her hands, her eyes wide and anxious while the latter stood at a side with her back against the wall.

Laur assessed them both first, her lips parted but no words coming out. At least they weren't hurt. The girls both looked alright—shaken, yes, but alright.

"Sister..," Adelaide spoke, her voice heavy as her face scrunched up in guilt and her brown eyes misted with tears.

"You both hid everything from me," Laurentine uttered then, her heart still pounding in her chest despite her relief at the unharmed sight of them.

"Why did you not tell me?" Her voice cracked then, and she tried to stop herself from demanding explanations when she was the one free at present and they were not.

"I kept promising you that I would help you both in any way you want me to with the boutique," Laur shook her head, "Mon Dieu, why did you not tell me? How did everything go this wrong?"

"Sister please-" Adelaide tried, but was broken off.

"How many times did I ask you? Why did you let everything get this far, Adelaide? You both have been accused of willful property theft!"

"It's not Adelaide's fault," Colette uttered then, nearing the bars and meeting Laur's eyes.

"The woman who sold us the place duped us," She started, contempt in her voice. "The place wasn't hers at all to sell. We paid her all the money she asked and she took off with it all, leaving behind the forged documents of the shop with my name on it."

Laurentine's palm trembled as she covered her mouth with it.

"I used all my savings Laur," Adelaide spoke, tears streaming down her face. "I thought it was an investment, but it has all been in vain."

"We didn't know what had happened," Colette continued. "We thought the shop was ours, but the entire stretch of land-including the establishments on it had already been sold to someone else."

"So all the time we were buying things for the shop, decorating it," Adelaide added, "We were violating someone else's property."

"Why did you push the opening night forwards?" Laurentine managed. "Didn't you suspect? Didn't someone say something? The land owner?"

"We did receive warnings," Adelaide tried, her voice hesitant as she glanced at Colette for confirmation.

"But I decided that the warnings were just.. petty," Colette Blanc shook her head, "I thought we had all the authentic documents saying the place was ours. We had bought it for God's sake, I thought we were safe. And in any case, we had the address and contact details of the woman who had sold us the place. I thought we could refer to her if anyone decides to make trouble."

"But it was all fake, Laur," Adelaide cried then, stifling a sob. "She made a fool of us. It's like she doesn't even exist."

Laurentine stepped a step back, shutting her eyes briefly as she palmed her forehead. Her head was starting to pound mercilessly, bits of her drenched hair were stuck to the back of her neck, and her wet evening gown felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

"Laur, please," Adelaide sobbed, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for all this to happen."

Laur opened her eyes, sympathy and love for her sister tearing at her chest.

"Of course you didn't, darling," She managed softly, before clustered footsteps were heard at the entrance of the cells, and Laur looked to her left to see the image of the police guard who had led her into the station, along with a uniformed police officer with badges galore at his chest and three suited gentlemen following behind him.

Once the police guard and officer's forms walking towards her afforded a glimpse at the gentlemen behind them, Laur's heart stilled abruptly in her chest. All three of the gentlemen were familiar, but one so much more so than the others.

Georges Hautcourt had arrived as well, her lawyer making his appearance right on time, but Laurentine could not fathom why the other two gentlemen were here. One of them had interrupted her date just tonight, and with the other she had been on that date. Had she gone entirely insane in her distress so as to imagine him here? Was anybody else seeing him too? What purpose could he possibly have at the police station, and Mon Dieu, why was he coming towards her and her present crisis?

His eyes—stark and hazel—met hers then, and a subtle surprise tinged with a concern flashed over his gaze. It felt as though, he had expected her to be there somehow, for he wasn't as shocked as Laur herself was. Monsieur Édouard Arsenault looked merely bothered upon his presence at the station, and concerned at Laur's state-or perhaps the dilemma she was in.

She tore her eyes away from him, refusing to read his gaze in her present state. Her breathing was still unsteady and her head was pounding ferociously. The remnants of rain were ice on her skin and she had to fight her resolve not to hold her elbows close to her and appear meek, when she was only cold.

"Mademoiselle Laurentine Bonfamille, I take it?" The police officer clad in badges spoke first as he approached, as Laur's lawyer instantly crossed over to stand at her side, his gleaming briefcase secure at his side.

"Yes," Laur managed, firming her voice and keeping her eyes away from Monsieur Arsenault's form.

Perhaps if she simply ignored him, he would get on with his own business here and just disappear. Mon Dieu, why was he even here right now? Laurentine felt shame clogging her throat. Her younger sister—who she had talked about with the gentleman often—was in a cell at present, and Laur was entirely drenched and looking and feeling so much less than her best. Why was Monsieur Arsenault here right now? Why was he witnessing all this?

"I understand you have knowledge of the charge against your sister and her partner? Your lawyer has been made aware of the technicalities as far as your sister is concerned."

Laurentine swallowed thickly, stealing a glance at Adelaide and Colette, before looking back at the officer.

"I am responsible for both my sister and Mademoiselle Blanc," She uttered for the second time in a short span of time, her hands fisting at her sides.

Colette Blanc had no lawyer at her disposal. The girl had squandered the last of her money with Adelaide in a venture that they had both been sure of, and had not Laur promised to be there for both of them? She would use her lawyer and fight for them both, for Colette Blanc was no less than a sister.

"So I ask you to fill in my lawyer accordingly."

Laurentine exchanged a glance with Georges Hautcourt, the short round man nodding at her as his balding head caught the yellow light from the solitary light bulb on the ceiling.

"As you wish, mademoiselle, but let us talk privately in my office," The police officer affirmed gesturing towards the exit, and asking—in a low and respectful tone—Monsieur Arsenault and his companion to follow too.

Laur's heart battered in her chest then. Monsieur Édouard Arsenault did not merely have his own business to settle at the police station, he was involved in the same dilemma as Laur.

She swallowed thickly as she followed all the men, with Hautcourt right at her side as she threw a parting glance to Adelaide and Colette.

Had Monsieur Arsenault too been duped somehow? Had he thought he owned an establishment on 74 rue de la Boétie too? Only for him to be wrong? Had he been accused of property theft as well? For had not Laur seen him for the first time strolling that same street where Adelaide and Colette's potential shop was housed? Were his situation and her sister's situation entirely one and the same?

"Mademoiselle Bonfamille," Georges Hautcourt spoke at her side discreetly then, as they continued following the policeman.

"We must talk first," He added, "The opponents mean business, we have to-"

"I need to listen to the officer first," Laur managed, her tone firm. "I will consult you afterwards, Georges."

"Yes, mademoiselle," The man spoke reluctantly.

The police officer led them all to his office, wherein the police guard from the station gate shut the door and stood beside it, arms crossed at his chest.

The police officer with the badges crossed over to his desk and sat himself down on his chair, gesturing for Laur to take a seat as well.

"Please, seat yourself mademoiselle, you have exerted yourself in the rain," He uttered, before gesturing to the guard by the door. "You, bring mademoiselle a shawl or-"

"No," Laurentine asserted firmly, conscious of Monsieur Arsenault's eyes on her as she sat herself down slowly, feeling her wet icy skirts press against her skin.

"Do not bother, please."

The police officer nodded, abandoning the order as he leaned on the table, elbows on the surface and fingers intertwined.

"Mademoiselle, as you are aware, the charges are grave," The man started, "Your lawyer will tell you that. We took statements from your sister and Mademoiselle Blanc, and their claims about a pre-existing landlady cannot be proven."

"I understand that," Laurentine managed, "But you cannot keep them in the cells. We will fight the claims, my lawyer will—"

"I think you will take it up legally with the man who has filed the claims against your sister," And here the officer raised a hand to gesture towards the standing forms of Monsieur Édouard Arsenault and his companion.

Laur felt the ground slip from beneath her, and she was grateful for the chair she was sitting on. Her heart pounded in her ears, making it difficult to even comprehend what the officer was saying. Was it true? Had Monsieur Arsenault filed the claim? Was he the one who had bought and owned the entirely of 74 rue de la Boétie? Was that why she had run into him strolling there the night of Genevieve's dinner party?

"But I'm just following orders mademoiselle," The police officer continued, as Laur turned her eyes away from Monsieur Arsenault.

He hadn't even looked at her, his hazel gaze fixed ahead fiercely as though he was blocking everything out and admitting to everything forthright as well.

"Your sister and Mademoiselle Blanc were both warned multiple times and still they refused to comply, so the claimant requests them to be kept in custody."

Laur shut her eyes tight, feeling something inside her tear painfully. She felt betrayed. Mon Dieu, the very person who had promised Laur to use his influence to protect her sister in England, was the same one who had presently ordered Adelaide to be held in a cell.

"Mademoiselle," Georges Hautcourt appeared at her side, bending to speak to her in low tones. "Do not worry, I will have your sister and Mademoiselle Blanc out in no time. They are not authorized to hold the ladies like this."

Laurentine swallowed, feeling her eyes sting with tears again and fearing she would break down in front of the men.

She had started to fall in love desperately with a man who had instantly knifed her where it hurt her the most. The realization made her tremble and her heart throb painfully. Mon Dieu, she had cherished the very idea of him, she had reveled in his presence, every inch of her had been enamored by him..

Was this what it had all led to? Was this why something inside her had always labelled her sudden attraction towards him as folly? Had a part of her always known this was coming?

"Excuse me," Laurentine let out then, standing up shakily. "Please excuse me, I need some air."

"Yes, of course," The police officer nodded, gesturing to the door as Laur gripped her skirts and hastened towards it, slipping out into the main hallway and running towards the exit of the police station.

Tears had begun to fall down her face with vigor, and her vision was blurry as she ran down the steps of the police station and stopped on the side of the street. It was still raining heavily, and she was once again being rained on. Except, this time, it was the least of her concerns.

At least the rain was washing her tears away. She breathed heavily, trying to trust that Hautcourt would handle the mess without her rational mind, because at present, it was in tatters.

Had she unknowingly caused this mess? Had she unknowingly put Adelaide and Colette into danger because of her acquaintance with Monsieur Arsenault? But what difference would it have made had she not known him? Since he hadn't shown either grace or mercy in the present scenario?

Laur held herself, the police station right behind her as she sobbed. She had created such a mess of things, this all would have been so much easier if she hadn't been betrayed by both ends. How was she to stifle such heartache with the forgiveness that wouldn't come?

"Laur," A familiar voice called at her back, and she turned her head to spot the rain drenched form of Monsieur Édouard Arsenault.

His hazel eyes were soft with concern, and his manner was reluctant and guilt-ridden. His dark hair was stuck to his head and forehead, dripping water into his eyes.

"Go away," Laurentine cried, "Talk to my lawyer. Whatever demands you have, whatever orders you want to give—you will talk to my lawyer."

"Laurentine, listen to me," He shouted over the thundering of the rain, as she turned fully to face him.

"I didn't know she was your sister," Édouard let out then, "Mademoiselle Blanc put only her name on all the documents and I didn't realize—"

"Does it matter?" Laur cried out, her heart aching. "You have gotten both of them put in a cell like criminals!"

Édouard Arsenault's eyes hardened at her despair.

"And what of what they did?" He shouted, "You do not realize how hard I worked to get the sale of that land through. Months and months of getting permission for my skyscraper and scouting out every possible location for it in Paris. Then weeks of trying to get the sale of the land to go through, and your sister and friend come along and try to—"

He broke off in his fury, and for the first time, Laur felt the exact same emotion boiling hot inside of her.

"Try to what, sabotage you?" She cried, quoting the same word his man had spoken to him at dinner after interrupting their date.

"Adelaide and Colette have no personal vendetta against you, do you understand me? They made a stupid mistake—it is my fault, I should have known to interfere and force them to tell me what was going on," Laurentine's voice cracked as she choked on a sob.

"Just two girls trying to foolishly open a boutique on your land is not sabotage, Monsieur Arsenault," She raised her eyes up at him, his betrayal making her ache all over.

"You are wicked and cruel if you think so."

Édouard turned his face away, viciously running his fingers through his hair to free his forehead before he pinned his eyes in hers and stepped closer.

"Your sister and friend broke the law, Laurentine," He uttered, his words hard like stones. "If there was anybody else in their place, I would have reacted the same way. Fuck, the law itself would remain the same even then."

Laur gazed into his eyes, tears streaming down her face as the rain pelted down on both of them.

"You promised me you would have her protected when she went to England," She let out, voice breaking. "But you are ruthless, cruel. You think she has sabotaged you by making a foolish mistake. She's young, she doesn't know any better."

Édouard ground his jaw, but his eyes didn't leave hers.

"I keep my promises Laur," He spoke fiercely. "Regardless of whatever that has happened, I keep my promises."

She turned away from him then, hugging herself close.

"Adelaide will sink into herself after the effort it will take to get her out of this mess," She uttered, staring out into the street. "She will never forgive herself. This will always be marked into her profile, she will think of herself as unworthy to even go to England now with a legal charge against her in her history."

"Mon Dieu," Laur dropped her gaze to her feet, a sob escaping her. "She had such plans, such dreams. This was her first time doing anything big, and now she will think of herself as undeserving."

A pause ensued, during which Laurentine hoped that Édouard had left her alone. Her heart was grievously hurt and she could not stand being near him, but then he cleared his throat to speak.

"I will fix all this," He managed then, "If you want me to."

Laurentine turned to look at him in confusion, her blue eyes meeting his certain hazel gaze.

"I will drop every charge, your sister and friend can walk free from this untainted and unharmed."

"Fuck, I will even let them have that damned shop," Édouard Arsenault shoved his hands into his pant pockets, his jaw tight. "I will buy some other land in Paris for my building."

Laur placed her palm against her heart, not believing what she was hearing.

"Why? Why would you do such a thing?"

"I promised you I would," He uttered, stepping close to her.

"I promise to always be there for you when you need me, mademoiselle."

Laur remembered his earlier words, ones he had spoken in Genevieve's guest room. Mon Dieu, had not she pondered over the wording of that promise? Had not she assumed it was all-encompassing somehow?

"No," She shook her head desperately as the rain slowed down, taking a step away from him.

"I don't want any promises from you anymore," She let out, "I will figure things out on my own. I will do anything and everything that I have to. I will take Adelaide to England myself if I have to, I will leave France and be with her—I will—"

"Just give me a word, Laur," Édouard raised his voice, stepping closer to her again. "Just give me a fucking word and I'll make everything right. You won't have to leave France, Paris, your opera—you won't have to fucking do anything that you do not want to."

Laur raised her hands to her forehead, trembling again as the pounding in her head intensified.

"I can't," She cried, "I don't want anything from you!"

"You won't be able to do all of it yourself," He spoke then, his voice collected. "It will take too much from you."

Laurentine's heart clenched.

"How dare you?" She shouted. "I will give everything for my sister, do you understand me? You do not get to stand there and speculate what I can or can't do."

"I didn't mean it like that," He sharpened his gaze in hers. "I only ask to make it easier for you, to uphold the promise I gave to you."

"I don't want your promise anymore!"

"Why?" He yelled, his baritone grating. "Is it because you're afraid to have me ask you something in return? You prefer doing that, don't you? You feel guilty and worthless if you can't repay the favor by doing a comparatively meagre act in return and feeling like you deserve the promise."

Laur stepped close and her hand came sharply in contact with the side of Édouard's face, whipping his head to a side.

"You are despicable," She managed, her voice catching in her throat.

He lifted his head to look at her, meeting her eyes with a resolve.

"That I may be," He let out then, his voice devoid of fury. "But I'll be damned if I don't keep my word."

"I will make it easier for you Laur," He added then, a stark guilt washing over his features as he composed himself.

"I will fix everything," His voice etched in earnest as he looked at her. "You're unlike any woman I have met before in my life and regardless of what you think, it is burning me to see those fucking tears in your eyes."

Laurentine's fury melted away, her body feeling numb and her heart still thundering in her chest as she looked at him.

"I will give that shop to your sister and friend, and they will walk away from all this untainted," He repeated his earlier words. "I will find a different land for my building, and no hint of a legal repercussion will touch both your sister and your friend. When your sister goes to England, I will have her thoroughly protected there like I said I would."

"What do you want in return?" Laur asked then, her voice weak and barely above a whisper. "I feel guilty and worthless if I can't repay favors."

Tears filled her eyes again and cascaded down her cheeks as she repeated his earlier words, ones that had so deeply offended her. But they were true, they were so so true.

Édouard ground his jaw, nearing her and grabbing her elbow, his hold firm as he forced her to look at him.

"You are not guilty of anything, neither are you worthless," He uttered, his face inches away from hers. "You alone are worth more than every fucking jewel in this world combined, do you understand me?"

Laur half closed her eyes, her body aching in the cold that she felt and her skin beginning to burn.

"Fuck," Édouard let out, holding her close to him, leaving her elbow and grabbing hold of her waist as he felt her sway on her feet.

"You are burning up, Laur."

He bent down to employ use of his other hand to pick her up, but she pushed his advance away with the last of the strength she had left.

"If you help us," She tried weakly, "You need to ask something in return. I can't—can't otherwise, I'll feel guilty—"

"We can talk about this later," He hastened, trying to pick her up again but she stopped him.

"Édouard please!" Laur cried, "Now. I need you to ask me now, because I need Adelaide to be alright. Please—please I need Adelaide to be alright. She doesn't want me helping her—she doesn't like me helping—please—"

Forcefully, Édouard snaked his arm underneath her knees and picked her up, his eyes gazing into her glassy ones as she wrapped an arm around his neck to support herself.

"Then marry me," He uttered. "Marry me and I'll make everything right for you. I will eradicate anything that causes you despair, fuck, I'll fix everything you need me to."

Laur looked at him, peering at him through the painful pounding of her forehead, her heart slamming in her ears and tears falling from her eyes again.

"I will take you to Marseille with me, I will bring you back to Paris whenever you want me to," Édouard let out, his hot breath brushing her face. "You will be the mistress of my estate and I will worship you."

Laurentine—in her weakened state—couldn't fathom the depths of what he was asking of her, and she was trying.

"But you—you've hurt me," She managed, her voice cracking. "You've hurt my sister and you've broken my heart."

"Then hate me," He spoke, holding her in his arms under the night sky as though she was as light as a feather.

"Hate me all that you need to, but do it as my wife, and I'll protect and guard you and your sister with my life."