Chapter 6: Scandal and Seduction
The headlines hit the next morning.
> "Delacroix Heiress Caught in CEO's Bed: Love or Leverage?"
— Le Paris Élite
> "Elara Rousseau's Secret Affair with Billionaire Lucien Leontis Uncovered"
— Global Finance Weekly
Elara froze mid-step in the hotel hallway. Her phone vibrated nonstop—calls from unknown numbers, messages from fashion houses, brand investors, journalists.
Bastien was waiting downstairs, a newspaper already folded under his arm.
"They didn't waste any time," he said grimly.
Elara snatched it from his hand and stared at the cover.
A grainy photo of her—wrapped in Lucien's arms on the balcony of his penthouse. Another of them sharing a kiss outside the Leontis jet hangar.
It was intimate. Personal. Explosive.
"They're framing this as manipulation," Bastien said. "That you used Lucien to position yourself financially before your return."
She clenched her jaw. "Let me guess. Anonymous tips? Strategic leaks?"
He nodded. "Isolde's signature tactic. Adrien's favorite weapon."
"And Lucien?" she asked. "What has he said?"
"Nothing. Yet."
---
At Leontis HQ, New York
Lucien stared at the headlines, rage brewing beneath his calm expression.
"Who took these?" he asked.
Yuri, his head of security, handed him a dossier. "A paparazzo was paid through an untraceable Swiss account. But the routing points back to someone in Paris. Adrien Saint-Pierre."
Lucien's fingers tightened around the edge of his desk.
"She asked me not to come," he murmured. "But they've drawn blood."
He stood. "Have the plane ready. And prepare a press statement. If they want war, I'll give them fire."
---
Later That Day — Delacroix Estate
The board meeting was silent as Elara entered.
But not for long.
Isolde stood, crisp and ruthless. "Miss Rousseau's recent behavior calls into question her judgment and discretion. Photos have surfaced—"
"You mean the photos your team leaked?" Elara interrupted.
Gasps echoed through the room.
Isolde's face remained stone. "You're accusing me of corporate sabotage?"
"I'm stating facts. But I've already filed an injunction with the French Business Ethics Bureau. And the Leontis legal team is preparing to sue for libel. The media will soon be too busy reporting your scandals to focus on mine."
Adrien spoke up, slow and amused.
"Still… you are involved with Lucien Leontis. That's not just a romance. That's a conflict of interest."
Elara's gaze was ice.
"You're right. Which is why I'll remove myself from all financial negotiations involving Leontis Enterprises. My decisions will be reviewed by Bastien Vale—Delacroix Holdings' new interim counsel."
More gasps.
Adrien shot to his feet. "You can't do that—"
"She already did," Bastien said, stepping forward with a stamped motion from the board. "With the approval of three senior partners. And as of this morning, Elara now holds majority proxy over all Rousseau family shares. Including your late uncle's."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Elara turned, her expression poised and unshakable.
"This isn't about who I love. It's about who I am," she said. "I'm Elara Delacroix. And I'm not afraid of shadows anymore."
---
That Night — Paris Rooftop
Lucien watched her from across the rooftop as she finally returned to the penthouse he'd secured for her.
She didn't look surprised to see him.
"I told you not to follow me," she said softly.
"I didn't," he replied. "I came because they touched you. And no one gets to touch what's mine."
She exhaled, heart hammering.
"Lucien—"
He crossed the space between them and took her face in his hands.
"Let them talk. Let them spin lies. I only care about one truth."
He kissed her.
Hard.
Desperate.
Real.
And the world, with all its wars and wounds, fell away for just a moment.
---