Chapter Twenty-FiveElena’s POVThe sun was bright the next morning, almost too bright, painting the world in gold.For the first time in weeks, my heart felt light. Hopeful.Things were finally, finally falling into place.We had a lawyer now, someone who believed in us, in my father’s innocence. The debts that had once kept me awake at night were slowly clearing off. I had a new Birkin hanging in my closet, a fresh start tucked in the folds of its leather. And the restaurant the Alvarez family’s legacy was one step closer to coming back to life.It almost didn’t feel real.I walked down the street humming softly, clutching a paper bag filled with groceries, the air around me smelling like roasted coffee and early morning dust.For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like the girl running from ghosts. I felt like the girl walking toward a future.But the moment I stepped into the small apartment… my smile froze.Sandra was sitting on the couch, her shoulders hunched, her ha
Chapter Twenty FourValerio’s POVThe hum of the jet’s engine still clung to me when I stepped into my home. That familiar shift, the kind where the silence of the world outside surrendered to the weight of my empire inside these walls.But the silence I expected wasn’t what greeted me.Instead, what I found made my stomach churn.Right there, sprawled across the velvet couch in the middle of my living room, were Luka and Sofia.My daughter and her pathetic excuse of a husband.Making out like starving dogs. His hands clawing at her waist, her lips wrapped around him in a display so careless, so shameless, that they didn’t even notice me enter.I didn’t clear my throat. I didn't announce myself. I was too disgusted. I walked past them, ignoring the disgrace in my own house.It wasn’t until one of my bodyguards stepped forward, his heavy boot dragging against the polished floor, that Luka even noticed. The guard gave him a swift, cold kick to the leg.“Stand,” the guard barked.Luka s
Chapter Twenty-ThreeElena’s POVThe clanging of keys, the echo of heavy boots, the smell of iron and damp cement prison always felt like a wound that never healed.But today, walking into the visitor’s section with a small bag of food and milk in my hands, I felt my heart beating faster than usual.When they brought him out, my chest almost collapsed in on itself.“Papi…” I whispered, voice trembling as I saw him.My father looked thinner, the jumpsuit hanging loose around his shoulders. His once-strong arms, the ones that used to lift me into the air and twirl me around the kitchen, now carried scars and bruises. His eyes still held love, but they were dimmer, like light suffocated under smoke.“My golden girl,” he rasped, his voice cracking with too many nights of silence.I dropped everything and rushed into his arms, hugging him tight. His chest shook against mine as if he was holding back tears. I couldn’t hold mine. They spilled freely, soaking the fabric of his worn-out shirt
Chapter Twenty-TwoElena’s POVI woke up to the sound of screaming.For a second, I thought it was in my dream. But then I heard it again Sandra’s voice, shrill and echoing through the tiny apartment walls.I sat up straight, my heart slamming against my ribs. “What’s going on?!”My breath caught. “Is it… is it the mafia? Have they found me?”The words slipped out before I could stop them.Sandra froze in the doorway, her hair a mess, her eyes wide. But instead of panicking, she just looked at me strangely. Almost… suspiciously.“Elena,” she said slowly, narrowing her eyes. “Why is that the first thing you think of? Out of all the things in the world… why would you think it’s the mafia?”I swallowed, forcing a smile that felt like glass cracking on my face. “I don’t know. I was half asleep. My mind’s a mess.”She crossed her arms, studying me for a long moment. Then she sighed, the suspicion softening into worry. She walked over, sat on the edge of my bed, and grabbed my hands.“I don
Chapter 21— The First TouchElena’s POVThe third night came like a storm I couldn’t stop.All day I’d tried to drown the memory of him in noise: washing clothes, scrubbing my small kitchen, playing old songs on my cracked phone. But every song seemed to echo his voice. Every window reflection looked like his shadow.By evening, I gave up pretending.I dressed slowly. My hands trembled as I pulled on the black skirt again. No mask this time. I had stopped lying to myself.When I reached the club, Spider was already waiting. He didn’t even pretend to be calm anymore. His jaw was tight, his eyes darting.“Straight to him,” he muttered, taking my arm. “He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”My heart thudded. “Spider…”“Don’t.” His grip tightened. “Tonight is different. Just… be careful.”Different. The word crawled under my skin.We walked the hallway. My heels clicked. The bass faded. My pulse got louder.Spider opened the door.I stepped in.⸻He was already standing this time. Not sitti
Chapter Nineteen — Chains Without Touch Elena’s POV The next morning, sunlight spilled through the thin curtains of my apartment, too bright for the heaviness in my chest. I hadn’t slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him—his shadowed face, his scar, the command in his voice. Dance for me. You don’t belong in that cage. You came back. The words haunted me, clung to me like smoke. I dragged myself out of bed, washed my face in the cracked sink, and stared at my reflection. Without the mask, I looked like myself again. But even then, I didn’t feel like Elena anymore. I felt like someone else. Someone already claimed. ⸻ By evening, I tried convincing myself not to return. But when I slipped into the same skirt, tied the same mask, painted the same trembling lips—my body betrayed me. The club’s heat hit me like a wall. Perfume, sweat, money, smoke. The crowd screamed, bills rained, lights flashed. Girls twirled with practiced smiles. But none of it mattered. Because he