A New Beginning.

CHAPTER TWO

ELENA’S POV

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

I stared at the message on my phone until the screen went dark, then lit up again. “Happy breakup, Elena. You deserve better.”

How did they know? I had posted it barely ten minutes ago. I didn’t even add a tag or location, it was nothing more than a black square. Yet someone already knew and not just anyone, it was this ShadowWatch92 person who had been circling me for weeks.

I sank onto Jade’s couch, clutching my phone to my chest tightly as everything came rushing back to my memory at once.

Mike had hidden his real life so well in the beginning. He had the most charming smile that would make you forgot what you wanted to ask him, always taking me on expensive dinners and buying even more expensive gifts, always whispering sweet nothings.

I thought he was just another city guy with a mysterious job. Until the night I came home early and walked straight into hell.

Three men had Mike on his knees, with a gun to his head. There was blood on the floor and another man, a taller and broader one, with his face partially hidden in shadows, laid injured against the wall, bleeding badly.

I didn’t think twice about the situation and threw my equipment bag at the face of the one with a gun. While rushing to grab Mike. I created a distraction and helped both of them escape through the back while bullets flew.

Mike survived because of me. So did the stranger whose body I still remembered, he had strong shoulders, and wore dark clothes, moving with lethal grace even while hurt.

That night changed everything, afterwards Mike stopped pretending and started letting his Mafia life encroach into mine…into ours. The guns, the meetings, the danger…it all became normal, it became life for me.

And now this.

I broke into a sob before I could control myself, each one led to another and soon I was crying so hard my whole body was shaking..

But if I was being honest with myself, the crying wasn't just about the message. It wasn't even just about Mike. It was about the fact that I had let it get this far.

I had grown up with nothing and nobody, bounced around enough temporary situations to know the difference between something real and something convenient.

And Mike had been convenient, he was safe in that “having someone around always feels safer than being alone” way, even when that someone isn't actually protecting you from anything.

I had confused his presence for stability and his money for security and somewhere in between I had stopped trusting my own instincts entirely. That was the part that broke me open sitting on Jade's couch at midnight. Not him. Me.

Jade heard me and rushed out of her bedroom in her pajamas. “Elena? Babe, what happened?”

I showed her the message. Told her everything all over again, pouring it all out. The months of paranoia, the feeling of eyes on my back, the way Mike kept bringing armed men into our home like it meant nothing. Like I meant nothing. He didn't care about my safety at all. Heck, he didn't care about me. I was just his porcelain doll.

She pulled me into her arms, rubbing my back. “Hey, hey… breathe. You did the right thing leaving that bastard. He’s dangerous, Elena. You need to stay far away from him and all his mafia shit.”

“I know,” I whispered, wiping my face. “I just…I feel so stupid, and scared.”

“You’re not stupid. You’re human. And you’re safe here tonight.” She pulled back and looked me dead in the eyes. “We’re going to find you a new apartment. A safe one. Far from Mike and his people and I’ve got your back.”

I nodded, feeling very grateful. Jade always had a way of making me feel less alone.

She smiled softly. “Besides, this breakup is a good thing. No more distractions. You can focus on your career. Your I*******m is already popping off. The world is noticing Elena Voss, so channel this energy into your art.”

I sighed, leaning back against the couch. “I want to. I really do. But I’m stuck on this upcoming campaign, I can’t find the right male model. None of them have the presence I need. The intensity. The…mysterious ambiance.”

My mind drifted back to that night. The injured stranger I helped escape. I only saw his back clearly—tall and powerful, his muscles shifted gracefully under his torn clothes as he moved.

There was something magnetic about his presence even in pain. It felt dangerous but under control, it was the exact kind of raw edge this shoot needed.

I shook the thought away. It felt ridiculous. You don’t even know his face.

The next day at work, the unease followed me like a shadow.

I kept glancing over my shoulder while shooting outdoor portraits near the Thames. Every passerby felt like a threat to me and every camera I heard click made my skin prickle in unease.

I was packing up when a familiar face stepped into my path, I looked up to see it was one of Mike’s underlings. A skinny guy with a snake tattoo crawling up his neck.

“Elena,” he said in a low voice that almost sounded threatening. “Mike’s furious. He says you need to come back home right now and stop this tantrum.”

I laughed coldly, initially afraid, but the anger I felt melted that fear away. “Tell Mike I’m done. We’re done. He can keep his guns and his secrets. I want nothing to do with any of it.”

The guy’s eyes narrowed. “You’re making a mistake.”

“No. The mistake I made was staying as long as I did.” I slung my bag higher on my shoulder. “Now leave me alone.”

He blocked my path. “Mike doesn't take no for an answer.”

“Will you get the fuck out of my way before I lose my shit. And while you're at it, tell Mike I said he can go to hell.” I said to him, raising my voice louder than I wanted.

He stared at me for a moment, then stepped aside, turned and walked away. My heart raced as I watched him go. I needed to get away, like far away. Maybe to another city, just somewhere they couldn’t find me easily.

My phone rang. It was Jade.

I answered quickly. “Hey.”

“Elena!” Her voice was excited, almost breathless. “You won’t believe this. A high-end apartment just became available in a really good area. The price is surprisingly low for what it offers. Buttt I think it’s perfect for you, do you want me to send the details?”