LOGINTristan's POV
I closed the door to my old study room behind me with a soft click, the weight of the old oak groaning in its hinges, as though it too mourned with me. The study room smelled of aged books. Dust clung to the corners of the room, but I didn't care.
The chair creaked as I sank into it, leather cracked at the edges, worn from long nights I used to spend here with Estelle, her legs curled under her on the recliner, a journal
Tristan's POVI left VFS with fury still simmering beneath my skin, the tension in my jaw was like a steel vice. Delance’s indifference clung to me like a stench I couldn’t wash off. Her smugness... her apathy, and the way she dismissed Elona’s suffering like it was some necessary evil in the pursuit of glory. It took everything in me not to slam her door on the way out. But I wasn’t done. There was still a ghost from the past that needed to be confronted.Grace.The name soured in my mouth the second it crept into my thoughts. I hadn’t thought about her in months, not since the news of our loss. The push on that d^mn camp during volleyball, the way Elona had crumpled and held her stomach and winced in pain. The look in her eyes. I will never forget that moment, and it was happening in front of me. Hell, it happened on my birthday. The anger inside of me intensified.
Tristan's POVThe sun had barely risen when I left the house, the sky still steeped in shades of bruised violet and fading charcoal. Elona was resting at the hospital under David’s watchful eye, and Cris had made it clear she wouldn’t sleep until she had the dirt she needed to burn Velvet Fashion Studio to the ground. I let her go do her digging at SNT while I did what I knew best...confronting the beast head-on.The drive to VFS felt longer than usual, or maybe it was just the thrum of anger in my chest, making everything around me seem slower, duller, and inconsequential. My hands tightened around the steering wheel as I replayed the image of Elona lying unconscious in my arms, pale and bruised. That wasn’t just exhaustion. That was a body pushed too far. And someone needed to be held accountable.The moment I stepped through the glass doors of VFS, I ignored the pristine interiors, t
Tristan's POVI sat in the waiting area, the cold plastic chair beneath me offering no comfort. My hands were clasped tightly, my knuckles were white, as I stared blankly ahead, lost in thought. David had been allowed to see Elona first. I understood, he was her father, after all. But a part of me ached to be by her side, to reassure myself that she was truly okay.Cris approached, her footsteps soft against the floor as she came from the bathroom. She sat beside me, her presence a balm to my frayed nerves. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper."Yes," she replied, looking ahead of her, "I've informed Spooky about her. He's worried, and he's worried about you."I nodded. There was a pause before I spoke. "Earlier, I saw
Tristan's POVI sat hunched forward on the chair in the waiting area, elbows on my knees with my head in my hands. Each second grinding against my nerves like sandpaper. Elona was somewhere beyond those walls, pale, fragile, and unconscious.I didn’t even realize Cris had arrived until I felt her arms around me. “Dad!” she breathed out, half a sob and half a relief. She pulled back just enough to see my face, and her expression softened instantly. “Gosh, you look like hell.”“I feel worse,” I said, my voice raspy from exhaustion and emotion. “I can’t lose her, Cris.”She sat beside me, not pressing me to speak, just being there. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I said it aloud. “I’ve lost people before. But Elona… She is not just anyone. I can’t-” I swallowed hard. “I won&rs
Tristan's POVThe moment Elona crumpled to the floor, time stuttered. My heart lurched, chest tightening as I lunged forward, just barely catching her before she hit the cold tiles. Her body went limp in my arms, fragile and light... too light. Her skin was clammy, her breathing shallow and uneven, her lips were pale.“Elona,” I whispered urgently, brushing a hand against her cheek. “Elona, wake up,” no response.My panic surged, raw and animalistic. I didn’t wait. I scooped her up into my arms, bolting out the front door, kicking it shut behind me. The porch light cast a pale glow across the driveway, but I barely registered it. All I saw was her. She was too still and too quiet.She didn’t weigh much, but the dread anch
Elona's POVI moved closer to him. I was only in my thong, my breasts were exposed. He moved his chair back and stood up, shaking his head as he came closer to me. I wanted him to use me instead of resorting to alcohol or work. I would rather we get through this together or me helping him in anyway that I can for him to move on. But I know that it isn't that easy to just move on."I don't think this is a good idea," he breathed as he trailed his index finger along my collarbone. Shivers went down my spine, my lips parted, before darting my tongue out to moisten them. I stared at his lips as we were inches apart."Please, just use me as you please," I begged, hoping that he would just accept it.His hands moved to cup my ass as he closed th
Tristan's POVI was so close to getting what I wanted....what I needed. I wanted her so badly, I want to be inside of her badly, but that has to wait. I need to just focus on this moment. Savor it. She licked her lips and they parted again. I want to suck on
Elona's POVI felt so sick as we stepped into the house. My father was silent. I squinted at the light in the lounge as we entered. My father closed the door behind me. I was waiting for some sort of punishment from him. I just didn't like what Tristan had said to my father, that I should be carrie
Tristan's POVWe reached Elona's house. I knew what was to be expected from David when entering that house. I feel like a teenager all over again that is sneaking around, hoping not to be caught. We stopped in front of the house, I turned the ignition off, an
Tristan's POVI didn't want Elona to go with Spooky to the movie theater. That was the last thing that I wanted. I was p^ssed, that prick better not agree to go. As I walked down the streettowards my house, I contemplated whether to go to Spooky's house and make sure that he would not go. I turned







