Elena's POV
I barely slept after Damian left.
Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel his touch on my skin, his words echoing in my mind. I told myself it was nothing, that he was just another man drunk on power, another rich bastard who thought the world bent to his will. But I knew better. Damian Costa was unlike anyone I had ever met, and I was beginning to understand the gravity of what that meant.
I needed space. Distance. Clarity.
So I did what I always did when my world felt like it was closing in on me—I went home.
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The bus ride to my mother's house was long, the city fading behind me as I crossed into the quiet, worn-down neighborhood where I had grown up. The buildings weren't as polished, the streets not as clean, but there was a familiarity to it, a sense of belonging that money couldn't buy.
When I stepped onto the front porch, I hesitated for just a moment before knocking. It had been weeks since my last visit, but the second the door swung open, my mother's warm brown eyes met mine, and I knew I had made the right choice.
"Elena!" she gasped, pulling me into a tight embrace. "You should have told me you were coming!"
I melted into her arms, inhaling the familiar scent of lavender and the faint traces of coffee she always carried. "I needed to see you."
She pulled back, studying my face with that uncanny motherly intuition, her brows furrowing. "Are you okay?"
I forced a smile. "I'm fine, Mamma. Just… a long night."
She gave me a look that said she didn't believe me, but she didn't press. Instead, she led me inside, where the scent of garlic and tomatoes filled the air. My younger brother, Luca, was sprawled out on the couch, his nose buried in his phone, while my aunt Rosa was in the kitchen, humming as she stirred a pot of sauce.
"Elena's here!" my mother announced, and just like that, I was surrounded.
Luca barely looked up. "Hey, sis."
Aunt Rosa, on the other hand, wiped her hands on her apron and kissed both my cheeks. "Finally remembered your family, huh?"
I laughed, but there was guilt behind it. "I've been busy."
"Too busy for your own blood?" she chided. "What's more important than family?"
I didn't have an answer for that. At least, not one I was willing to say out loud.
We spent the afternoon like we always did—talking, eating, pretending the world outside these walls didn't exist. It was easy to get lost in it, to let myself believe, even for a few hours, that my life was simple. That I wasn't being hunted by a man who played with power like it was a weapon.
But reality had a way of creeping in.
"Have you been seeing anyone?" my mother asked suddenly, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
I nearly choked on my water. "What?"
Aunt Rosa grinned. "You're glowing, cara. That only happens when there's a man involved."
Luca snorted. "Or when she's actually sleeping for once."
I forced a laugh, my stomach knotting. "No one special."
It was a lie. A bold-faced lie. Because even though I wanted to pretend Damian Costa didn't exist, he had already seeped into my bones, his presence lingering even when he wasn't there.
My mother didn't push, but she watched me carefully, her gaze knowing. She had always been able to see through me. "Just be careful, Elena. Love can be a beautiful thing, but the wrong kind? It can ruin you."
A chill ran down my spine.
If only she knew how close I already was to ruin.