After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 4

**TITLE: The Billionaire Who Claimed My Heart and Who Broke Fate for Me**
**Chapter 4**

**Elle’s POV**

Standing outside the familiar yet suffocating confines of my family’s modest apartment in the human district, I felt a chill creep up my spine. My hand lingered on the doorknob, frozen in place as the cacophony of raised voices erupted from within. Grandma Grace’s shrill tones sliced through the thin walls, a piercing sound that made my stomach twist in knots. The unmistakable sound of something shattering soon followed, sending a wave of dread through me. The instinct to turn around and flee, to seek refuge elsewhere for the night, tugged at my heart. Yet, I had journeyed all this way to check on Susan, my foster mother, and I couldn’t abandon her now.

With a shaky breath, I steeled myself and pushed the door open.

What lay before me was a scene that sent a jolt of ice through my veins. There was Susan, my foster mom, kneeling on the living room floor, her head bowed in submission as Grandma Grace loomed over her, her face flushed with rage. Broken pieces of ceramic littered the ground around Susan’s trembling knees, a stark testament to the fury unleashed upon her.

“You call this clean?” Grandma Grace’s voice thundered, her words laced with venom as she hurled another shard of what had once been a dinner plate at Susan’s face. “Look at these spots! Are you blind as well as stupid?”

Susan remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor, refusing to meet the storm of anger directed at her. A purplish bruise was already forming on her forehead, a cruel reminder of the abuse she had endured. How long had she been subjected to this torment?

Without a second thought, I dropped my bag and rushed to her side, sinking to my knees beside her.

“Grandma Grace, please,” I implored, wrapping my arm around Susan’s quaking shoulders, hoping to offer her some semblance of comfort. “She just missed a few spots. You don’t have to hit her!”

Grandma Grace’s attention snapped to me, her eyes narrowing with disdain. “Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence!”

I bit down on my tongue, holding back the truth of my day—the exhaustion that had settled into my bones, the heartbreak that lingered from my encounter with Brad Rayne. The memory of his amber eyes and the warmth of his skin flared in my mind, but I quickly shoved it aside. I had no room for distractions now.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. “Work was overwhelming.”

“Work?” she scoffed, her tone dripping with contempt. “That pathetic job in the human section? I bet your salary this month won’t even cover your share of the expenses again.”

Susan attempted to speak up, her voice shaky. “Elle works very hard—”

“Shut up!” Grandma Grace barked, cutting her off with a sharpness that made me flinch.

I felt Susan’s body tense beside me, and I tightened my grip around her. “Please stop yelling at her.”

Grandma Grace leaned in, her face mere inches from mine, her breath hot against my skin. “You spend all day God knows where, come home at all hours, and don’t lift a finger to help around here. Your foster mother has spoiled you rotten!”

The injustice of her words ignited a fire within me. I worked longer hours than anyone else in this house, yet I returned to this chaos and abuse. But I knew that arguing would only escalate the situation further.

“I’ll help with chores now,” I offered quietly, trying to diffuse the tension. “Let me clean up this mess.”

Grandma Grace let out a derisive snort. “Too little, too late. You’re just like your mother—useless!”

In a fit of rage, she snatched her teacup from the side table and hurled it toward Susan. Without thinking, I instinctively shifted my body to shield her from the flying porcelain. The cup shattered against my back, the scalding tea soaking through my already stained blouse. A sharp pain radiated through me as the ceramic shards cut into my skin.

“Elle!” Susan gasped, her eyes wide with horror.

I gritted my teeth against the pain, forcing a smile through my anguish. “I’m fine.”

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