The Revenge Con

1. The Search Begins

Rebekah sat on a plane, flipping through the pages of a story that was all too familiar to her. She sipped on a cocktail made especially for her, knowing that would be the only way she would make it through the next 24 hours. She had been searching for her brother for months and finally found a lead. Her friend Hayley had spotted him in Manosque, France, and Rebekah was heading there in hopes of bringing him home.

After the betrayal from Elena and their broken engagement, Elijah had completely lost his sense of self. He had not been in contact with any of his family members and Rebekah was terrified something had happened to him without any of them knowing.

As the plane started to make its descent, Rebekah tucked the book away in her bag, knowing her brother would not be overly impressed if he caught her with his ex fiancees book. Especially one that was eerily similar to his relationship with her.

Rebekah stepped onto the streets of France and sighed, wondering when her life became a wild goose chase. She opened the map on her phone and followed the directions to the bar where he had been seen last. She knew it was a long shot but it was all she had.

She walked up to the bartender, ignoring the way he stared her up and down. She held up her phone, a picture of Elijah on the screen.

"Have you seen this man?" She asked him. The man looked skeptical but nodded.

"Elijah right? He plays piano here on Thursdays."

"Do you know where I might find him now?"

"That kind of information is going to cost you." The grin he flashed her made her feel unsettled.

"Fine 20? 50? Money is no object, just name your pr-"

"Not exactly what I had in mind." He smirked. Rebekah glared, scoffing at the man's implications.

"No chance in Hell." Rebekah stormed out of the bar towards a hotel, knowing she would be stuck there for a few days.

Elena fiddled with her ring as she sat at the table waiting for her date to show up. Jenna had been trying to get her to get back out there and after months of nagging, Elena gave in. She owed Jenna for letting her stay with her and knew the woman was hoping for some alone time with Mason.

When she caught sight of Liam walking in, she slipped the ring into her pocket and plastered on a smile.

"Wow." He grinned before pulling her into a hug. She had met Liam back when they were in medical school together but they had lost touch when she decided to pursue her writing career. "How are you?"

They sat down at the table and began catching up. Elena decided to leave out some important details but she assumed he had seen the tabloids. She was grateful he was polite enough not to pry.

"So have you started working on a new book yet?" He wondered.

"I've been working on a few ideas but I haven't been able to develop them enough yet. The last book came together so quickly that I'm a little blocked now." After the fight with Elijah, Elena had been so full of emotions that the writing poured out of her. Her book was a love letter to him that she figured he would never read. It was almost therapeutic for her to work through her heartbreak in the world of fiction. "How about you? What have you been up to besides becoming one of Whitmore college's most esteemed alumni?" He blushed at her flattery, smiling at the floor for a moment before meeting her eyes.

"Working at the hospital has taken up most of my time." He shrugged. "But I've been doing some volunteer work at the shelter."

After dinner, Liam escorted Elena back to Jenna's house and said goodbye by placing a kiss on her cheek. When she got inside, Elena's mind raced with thoughts of Elijah. She was painfully aware of the ring burning a hole through her pocket as she hung up her jacket. As much as she enjoyed getting to know Liam, there was one major flaw in the otherwise perfect suitor. He was not Elijah.

As she slipped out of the dress she had put on for the evening, she ached for the man she loved. She remembered the way his hands felt when they slid down her shoulders, pushing away the fabric. The way it felt when his lips pressed to her bare skin. When his arms wrapped around her.

She tried to shake away the thoughts of him but she couldn't. She loved him with all of her soul and time hadn't changed that. She missed him and she wished she hadn't completely screwed it up.

Elena wanted him back but she knew it was impossible. Elijah would never forgive her. Their love story was over.