Elise brought Elizabeth back to her apartment.

Elizabeth was definitely the kind of person who could fall asleep anywhere, anytime. She was out cold the moment she slid into the passenger seat.

Elise couldn't rouse her. She had no idea where Elizabeth lived. What was she supposed to do?

She drove to the parking garage beneath her own building. It took considerable effort to maneuver the sleeping actress out of the car, into the elevator, and finally through her apartment door. She deposited Elizabeth onto her bed.

Elise had always lived alone. While there were two bedrooms, only one had a proper bed.

Elizabeth immediately snuggled into Elise's pillows, rolling over with a contented sigh, completely lost to the world.

Elise briefly considered how easy it would be to call a trafficker. Elizabeth wouldn't have a clue.

Was she just careless, or did she genuinely trust Elise this much?

Elise let out a long, slow breath. She went to the kitchen and prepared a glass of warm honey water, placing it on the nightstand. Then, she headed for a shower.

When she emerged, her phone screen was lit up, vibrating silently on the counter.

She picked it up and stepped out onto the balcony to answer.

"You think you're so clever, don't you, Elise?!" Samuel's sneering voice was the first thing she heard. "Signing Elizabeth York to endorse Stellar Group? What's the matter, do you get a thrill out of sharing a man with her? You're utterly repulsive."

"Calling off our wedding was the luckiest escape of my life," Elise retorted coolly. "Marrying you would have been a lifelong curse."

"Who are you to judge me?!" Samuel snapped, his voice dripping with contempt. "Know your place! You got yourself knocked up at eighteen, and now you're cozying up to another woman's man! You're as cheap as they come."

"And you consider yourself noble?" Elise shot back, refusing to let his words slide. "Have you forgotten how you crawled into bed with Sophia? You're nothing special, Samuel. Don't pretend you're on some moral high ground. You're not."

"If you're going to be ungrateful, there's no point in continuing this—"

"Don't pretend this is about kindness. This is about jealousy." Elise cut him off, laying his true feelings bare.

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous of you?"

"Because Mitchell Corp has been trying to sign Elizabeth York for years. And you failed. It must sting, seeing little Stellar Group succeed where your mighty corporation couldn't."

"You're delusional!" Samuel fired back. "Stellar Group isn't even in the same league as Mitchell Corp! There is no comparison! I don't care what little schemes you run over there. You'll never reach our level, no matter what you do. So what if you got Elizabeth? It's just a cheap publicity stunt!"

"Fine. We'll see," Elise said, and ended the call. Talking to Samuel any longer was a pointless waste of oxygen and time.

On the other end, Samuel's face was a thunderous shade of gray after Elise hung up on him.

He had to admit, seeing the official partnership announcement between Stellar Group and Elizabeth had felt like a punch to the gut.

Mitchell Corp had courted Elizabeth for years. And Elise had secured her with what seemed like relative ease.

The humiliation for Mitchell Corp, once this news spread, would be immense.

Ever since his breakup with Elise, a simmering fury had taken root in his chest.

But he was certain. A day of reckoning would come for Elise. She would realize that leaving him was the single greatest mistake of her life.

Elise returned to her bedroom after the call. She was surprised to find Elizabeth awake.

Elizabeth was sitting up in Elise's bed, though she looked groggy and disoriented.

"Finished your call?" Elizabeth asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"You're awake," Elise noted.

"My head is pounding."

"Drink the honey water."

"I did."

"Then, maybe take a shower... or should I just take you home?" Elise offered.

"I'm staying here." Elizabeth's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

The truth was, Elizabeth rarely stayed in Crestwood. Her filming schedule kept her on location most of the time. On the rare occasions she was in the city, she usually just checked into a hotel. The Levine family owned plenty of them.

This time, the only reason she was staying at Levine Manor was due to direct threats from her parents and Henry Levine. They'd promised to pull her out of the entertainment industry and force her to work at Levine Holdings if she refused to stay at the family home.

Elizabeth, a free spirit who chafed under strict rules and expectations, felt like she was losing her mind in that oppressive environment.