To Love a Shadow To Be the Sun novel Chapter 215

Beneath the streetlight, just where the shadows of the trees began to swallow the sidewalk, Brian stood with his back ramrod straight. The lapel of his linen suit jacket fluttered in the night breeze, platinum cufflinks glinting coldly in the darkness. Even the line of his jaw seemed carved in ice.

A few paces away, Zane leaned against the hood of his car. The moonlight traced the perfect proportions of his tailored Italian suit, every inch of him exuding a studied nonchalance—even the way he loosened his silk tie was laced with aristocratic indifference.

“Mr. Lawrence,” Brian said, lips curling in a faint, chill smile, “the Lawrence family has always prided itself on propriety. I’m sure you wouldn’t stoop to stealing another man’s wife.”

Zane regarded him with steady, almost bored arrogance. “Since when does the Lawrence family’s code of conduct concern the likes of you?”

Brian looked away, jaw set. “Elara is my wife. We’re not even divorced, and even if we were, I wouldn’t let her marry another man.”

Zane’s sneer deepened. “What is this, the nineteenth century? Did you just crawl out of a grave?”

He arched a brow, voice smooth and mocking. “You keep your stepsister close, parade your latest fling around like a trophy, treat your wife like dirt—then turn around and say you love her? That’s not love, Brian. That’s trash.”

Brian’s eyes flashed, and his chest tightened with anger.

Zane glanced off into the distance, a ghost of a smile flickering at his lips.

Brian’s hand curled into a fist at his side. His voice was icy, brittle. “No matter what you say, I’m the only man Elara has ever had. You can forget about making her your nephew’s wife.”

A crease formed between Zane’s brows. “What did you just say?”

Brian’s words burned. “As long as we’re still married, your nephew’s nothing but the other man.”

Zane studied him for a long, silent moment before replying in a lazy drawl, “If he doesn’t mind, why should you?”

With that, he turned and slid into the back of his car, face unreadable.

Jason locked the doors and glanced at Zane in the rearview mirror. “Uncle Zane, did Brian threaten you?”

Zane’s gaze was sharp and unwavering, but he said nothing.

Jason shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny, then cleared his throat and focused on the road. “Let’s get Miss Jules home first.”

Only then did Zane look over at Elara, his tone unhurried. “Well, I’ve checked for you—Brian isn’t a criminal. He’s just a world-class jerk. Are you really going to stay with him?”

***

Elara didn’t want to discuss personal matters at the office, so she agreed to meet Mrs. Lawrence at a downtown coffee shop.

They arrived one after the other, but Mrs. Lawrence wasted no time asserting her dominance.

She’d rented out the entire café. As soon as Elara walked in, Mrs. Lawrence threw a cup of black coffee straight at her.

“Mrs. Lawrence…” Elara stared at her in stunned disbelief.

Mrs. Lawrence settled gracefully into a chair, then pulled a checkbook from her limited-edition designer clutch and slid a check across the table. “How much is your outfit worth? I’m buying it. Take it off, right now.”

Elara flicked the coffee from her sleeve, her eyes glacial. “May I ask what I’ve done to offend you, Mrs. Lawrence?”

Mrs. Lawrence gave a derisive snort. “You had the nerve to sneak into my son’s bed, but not the guts to admit it?”