LOGINALEXANDER The words were not loud. They did not need to be. They just landed, cold and final.Her eyes widened a fraction. The friend shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware that this was not a game she knew how to play.I straightened and pulled myself back. “And the woman I have— can't be compared to anyone… Not even to any divine Goddess. She's a Goddess herself.” Both women blinked, taken aback. Then suddenly, one of them smiled. This time it was a normal, appreciative one… “Such a lucky girl she is.” Then she took out a red lipstick from her clutch and scribbled something into a tissue paper before shoving it into my hand. “Call me, if she ever makes a dumb decision.” And winked at me. I only smiled faintly, then, without saying a word, I stepped past them without another glance, leaving silence in my wake.Outside, the night air was crisp. My driver was already waiting, engine running. I walked toward the car, but before entering I threw the tissue paper in the dustbin… “My
ALEXANDERI did not leave the restaurant until she did.I stayed where I had positioned myself from the beginning— where marble met shadow, where men like me learned to exist without being seen. The private corridor curved just enough to conceal me from casual observation, with the low amber lighting casting long shapes across the floor.I leaned against the wall, my hands resting gently at my sides, in an unhurried pace. Calm was not something I forced. It was something I carried.I wasn’t in a hurry. I am indeed here to take her back to where she belongs. To me, in my arms. And I'll do it, slowly, patiently. I once made a mess, I can't repeat it again…From here, I watched everything.The door to the private hall opened again, and Elowen stepped out with her family. Her mother spoke softly to her, one hand brushing her arm in a gesture meant to soothe. I wondered what she was saying to her daughter… By my tempest's expression, she's not really hearing her words and seems lost. H
ELOWENI opened the bathroom door with a hand that did not shake. At least, not visibly.I briefly pressed my palm against the cool wood before grasping the handle, using the sensation to compose myself and adopt a calm, presentable demeanor. When the door swung open, I found my mother standing there, concern faintly tightening her features.“There you are,” she said with a tone of relief, her eyes scanning my face with practiced familiarity. “You took longer than expected.”“I felt lightheaded,” I replied smoothly, stepping past her into the hallway. My voice sounded even, composed, almost bored, as though unbothered by life. “The room was warmer than I anticipated.”It was a lie delivered so cleanly that even I almost believed it. Yeah, getting better Elowen. I mocked bitterly in my head. Inside, however, my chest remained constricted, and each breath struggled to meet my body's need for air.My heart beat erratically, neither accelerating into panic nor decelerating into calm. My
ELOWENHis presence filled the room as if the air itself had thickened around him.The mirror fogged slightly where my breath hit it, but his reflection was sharp— too sharp, standing just behind me, near the door I had assumed would lead only to safety. His face was harder than I remembered, all edges and restraint, his jaw set in a way that spoke of control stretched to its breaking point. His eyes were darker now, stripped of warmth, unreadable in a way that made something in my chest ache violently.The suit he wore was immaculate, tailored to perfection, expensive in a way that announced power without apology. But beneath that polish was something fractured, something tightly leashed and dangerous, like a storm held back by sheer force of will…For a moment, neither of us moved.My fingers curled around the edge of the marble sink as my chest burned, breath coming too fast, too shallow… I forced myself to inhale slowly, deliberately, refusing to let him see how badly he had sha
ELOWENThe restaurant came into view as the car slowed, its warm golden lights spilling softly onto the cobblestone street like an invitation meant only for those who belonged there. It was one of Italy’s classics, old money and older influence carved into marble columns and tall arched windows. The kind of place where history and power dined together without needing to announce themselves. I had heard of it long before today. Everyone had. It was owned by the Rizzo family.Rich. Politically entrenched. Untouchable.No wonder my grandmother wanted this alliance.The driver opened the door, and the cool evening air brushed against my skin as I stepped out. My heels clicked softly against the stone as we entered, the weight of expectation settling heavier with each step forward. The interior was elegant without being ostentatious, muted colors, polished wood, chandeliers that glowed instead of dazzled. This was not a place for new money. It was a place for people who had never questio
ELOWENI stood in front of the mirror for a long time, long enough that my reflection stopped feeling like me and started looking like someone I was responsible for keeping alive…A week— a whole week had passed since I returned to Italy, and I assumed time would do its work. I believed distance would heal. I believed routine would soften wounds. I believed I would recover.But— I was wrong.Time had not eased anything. It had only stripped away the noise, leaving me alone with what remained. Every morning I woke up with the same heaviness pressing against my ribs, as though my body remembered before my mind did… The man I loved had not merely hurt me. He had dismantled something fundamental, something fragile I had given without knowing it was being measured, weighed, and assessed for usefulness.I touched the glass lightly, tracing the faint shadows beneath my eyes. I looked fine. That was the problem. My hair was brushed, my face composed, my posture intact. No one could see the







