BOOK 3: CHAPTER 82 -ELAINE- Duncan was hell-bent on not leaving without an answer. He stood there in Steph’s living room, arms crossed, eyes narrowing with a mix of confusion, sadness, and desperation that made it even harder to breathe. “The.. truth.., Eliane…” he said. “ No.. Excuses..” I had
BOOK 3: CHAPTER 81 -ELAINE- I didn’t know how many hours I’d wasted on that stupid couch, spooning melted ice cream into my mouth while reruns of mindless TV played in the background. It had become a blur Steph’s voice drifting in and out, her houseplants looking more alive than I felt, and the
BOOK 3: CHAPTER 80 -ELAINE- I decided to get this done. The following day, after my shift, I walked to Hotel Magnolia’s brass-doored entrance with my heart pounding so hard I thought it might fall off the marble walls. Every step felt heavier than the last. I didn’t want to be here, but I knew G
BOOK 3: CHAPTER 79 -ELAINE- The worst part about lying isn’t the act itself, it's the way it lingers, sits heavy on your chest, and builds a wall between you and the one person you want to be honest with. I hadn’t seen Duncan or the kids properly in days, hadn’t let them in, nor allowed myself t
BOOK 3: CHAPTER 78 -ELAINE- I woke up feeling like I’d slept through half the morning, something unheard of for a Sunday. I stretched, rolled over, and squinted at the sunlight filtering through the curtains. The house was quiet, and I enjoyed every second: no alarms, no chores, no rushing just a
BOOK 3: CHAPTER 77 -ELAINE- There’s something about watching Duncan in full protective mode that never fails to do me in. The way his voice dropped when he told Gianna to leave. The fury simmered in his eyes. The calm, measured way he defended me without a single flinch. It was the kind of thing