After Death, Love Unveiled (Elara and Lysander)

In the afternoon, Daphne and Asher were headed to a meeting. As they walked, Daphne couldn't help but notice the bruises

on Asher's face.

Concerned, she blurted out, "What the hell happened to your face? Did your dad do that?"

Asher gave a small shake of his head. "Nah, it wasn't him. Someone came looking for my dad, and things got a little... messy" "It's about money, isn't it?" Daphne pressed, remembering something from the day before that had made her suspicious. Reluctantly, Asher nodded. "Yeah, it is."

Daphne studied him for a moment before speaking up. "You can't keep doing this, Asher. Why not ask Elara for help?" Asher frowned, clearly confused. "Elara? How the hell is she supposed to help me?"

"You used to tutor her, remember? You could start again. Sure, we weren't exactly the nicest to her back then, but she's loaded. It's worth a shot. I doubt she'd mind having you as a tutor again. Daphnie suggested. Asher's response was immediate and sharp. "No way! I'm not doing this."

He'd already been kicked to the curb by Elara, and not once did it even cross his mind to beg her to change her mind. Sure, he was broke and barely scraping by, but there was one thing he still had in spades-his pride. Daphne wasn't backing down. "Oh, come on. It's just a way to make some extra cash. Tutoring her would pay way more than some shitty part-time gig at a café. Plus, it could help with your dad's mess

Growing frustrated, Asher shot back, "We're dating now. You're seriously telling me you'd be okay with me tutoring her?"

Daphne grinned and shook her head. "Why would I care? It's not like you have feelings for her. And trust me, Elara would probably be thrilled to throw some money your way."

Asher frowned, crossing his arms. "Everyone knows about her and Lysander Hawthorne. You really think I'm gonna go back to that? I'm not doing something I hate just for money, no matter how desperate things get. Daphne pressed on. "Look, once Lysander finds out about her situation, he's not gonna stick around. It's totally normal for you to care about her as a friend, right? You wouldn't want her stuck in a bad spot with him, would you?" Asher went quiet, realizing Daphne had a point. Lysander was impressive, sure, but their marriage was arranged. There was no way he truly cared about Elara.

Seeing him hesitate, Daphne pushed further, "If you're on the fence, I can talk to Elara and set up the tutoring again.

"Seriously, Asher, you've gotta finish high school. With everything going on with your dad, I'm worried you won't even graduate at this rate!"

Asher shot her a doubtful look, still uneasy about the whole thing. He grumbled, "Do you really think I can't make it without Eluat

Daphne quickly backtracked, "That's not what I'm saying-

Asher cut her off. "Elara is just playing games. I'm not about to bow down to her! With everything going on with my dad, going back to her would just drag her down too, How the hell could I live with that on my conscience?" He stormed off toward the multimedia room for the meeting, not sparing a glance back.

Later that afternoon, after gym class, Elara brushed off her friends and sat down alone in the shade, trying to catch her breath.

Daphne approached her, looking worried. "Why are you sittingly yourself?"

Elara looked up, already knowing why Daphne had come over. What, like I've got friends?"

Since her fallout with Daphne and Asher, people had kept their distance.

on

Unlike them, Elara didn't have a big friend group to fall back out honestly, she didn't care; if she did, their absence would've hurt a lot more.

Daphne squatted down next to her, glancing at Elara's pricey sports gear, mentally noting how loaded she must be.

Switching gears, Daphne said, "Hey, Elara... can we talk for a sec

"Sure," Elara replied nonchalantly, sucking on a lollipop. Ever since her time travel she'd developed a serious sweet tooth. Luckily, she'd always been slim, so a bit of extra weight just made her look healthier. Taking a deep breath, Daphne asked, "Could you let Asher keep tutoring you?"

Elara leaned back slightly, frowning at the suggestion, "Why?" she asked, genuinely confused.

Daphne spoke earnestly, "Asher's going through a tough time right now, with his dad and everything. Please, just help him out! If this keeps up, it's only gonna get worse for him.

handle it, and I swear, he's a great tutor. I'll help too. Together, we'll get your grades up. Then we can all aim for the same college-what do you say?"

In Daphne's mind, even though Elara's grades were pretty average, which made getting into college a long shot. Asher would be done with his exams soon, and then he'd be free of all this hassle for good. Elara just stared silently at her.

Daphne finally broke the awkward silence. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

A sarcastic smirk tugged at the corner of Elara's mouth. "You really think I'm that stupid? You're all cozy with him, and now, you're trying to dump him on me as a tutor? What, hoping I'll bankroll your little love story again, like I'm some kind of idiot?" Daphne's eyes narrowed as she shot back, "It's not like you're hurting for money. You threw thirty grand at his birthday like it was pocket change."

"My money's mine to do whatever the hell I want with, even if that means throwing it at charity. But I'm done spending a single cent on Asher Blackwood. I'm dead serious! I'm not here to support his girlfriend," Elara snapped, yanking the lollipop out of her mouth. She looked Daphne up and down, a bit surprised she'd had the nerve to come directly to her. It must've taken some guts. Doesn't she have any shame! Elara thought to herself.

Daphne let out a deep breath. "If you hate him that much just because of me, I can break up with-

"No!" Elara cut in, almost too quickly. "Please, don't. If you really want to end it, leave me out of it. I don't need Asher thinking I drove you away.

Daphne met her eyes, unwavering. "Then what do you want?"

Feeling her legs starting to go numb, Elara stretched and replied slowly, "Daphne, are you already tired of Asher?"

Daphne's face darkened. "What the hell is that supposed to mea

Elara's sneer deepened. "You jumped on him because he was the school's golden boy-the perfect student. Couldn't wait to show him off at his big birthday bash.

"But now you've figured out he's not some rich heir, just a guy stock with a gambling loser for a dad. And now you're regretting it, using me as