**Elena**But it seemed to stop mid-air as my fist tightened.“I don’t care why you came here. If it's to check if I am dead…” I let out a humorless laugh. “Well, too bad. That was your loss. I'm perfectly alive. And you don’t get to break me that easily.”My chest rose and fell fast.“And you're lucky,” I added through gritted teeth, “nothing happened to my father.”I felt the weight of stares, two guards watching from a distance.I didn’t care. Let them see.I turned sharply on my heels and walked away, not sparing her another glance. She didn’t deserve it.But just as I reached the hallway, I felt it….a rough pull on my arm.What the..“Xavier?” I gasped, yanking my arm free.Seriously?My skin still burned from Mortina’s grip, and now this?What was it with everyone grabbing my arm like I was a ragdoll?“I swear,” I muttered under my breath. “It was like my arm had a magnet today.”“Let me go,” I said louder, twisting free. “Please.”Tears streamed down my cheeks, making the edges
**Elena**"Great, glad you could make it," I said, forcing a smile as I walked toward her. My steps felt heavy, but I kept my head high. "You’ve saved me the stress of coming over."My tone was sharper than I expected. But I didn’t care.I stopped a few feet away, eyes narrowing. “What did you do to my father, Mortina?”She didn’t respond. Instead, her gaze shifted, cold, as she looked past me. Straight at Nick."Don't tell me you're still friends with this… thing," she sneered.Thing? I clenched my fists. My stomach twisted with a mix of shame and rage. She always did this….tried to reduce me in the presence of others with just a few words.Nick didn’t flinch. His jaw tightened as he straightened his shoulders. Calm, but firm."Watch what you say, Mrs. Downs," he said coolly. "I might not overlook it next time."With that, he turned and walked away. I watched him go, part of me aching. He didn’t deserve to be dragged into this mess. But somehow, he always ended up standing by me.
**Elena**"What do you mean by something strange?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly as panic started to rise in my chest.Nick crouched near the front couch, eyes glanced at me, then back at the screen of his laptop, brows furrowed.He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, frowning."It's like… there was a struggle," he said, hesitating. "I mean, I don't know. I might be wrong."I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.A struggle? With Dad? My fingers tightened around my phone as a chill settled on the back of my neck."No, no… I believe you," I said quickly, stepping closer. I unlocked my phone with trembling hands and held it out to him. "Look at this. I got another text this morning, right after Trisha's little drama."He took the phone, his eyes scanning the screen."WATCH YOUR BACK," he read aloud, his voice low and serious. The words sounded more threatening when spoken. A cold wave rushed through me.What is happening to me? Nick looked up at me, concern etched deep
**Elena**"Your Highness," Nick said with a small bow toward Xavier.He didn't respond, but something in his eyes looked tense. "Thank goodness you're here," I blurted, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward me.Why did I do that?I didn’t even think…my body just moved, like he had come at the right time.Nick blinked, surprised, but didn’t resist. His hand hovered near my back like he wanted to support me but wasn’t sure if he should.Behind us, Xavier cleared his throat. Loud. Purposefully."Hmm... Hmm."Here we go."I didn’t know you and my wife were that close," he said, eyes fixed on Nick like he was a problem that needed solving.The fuck.His tone was sharp, dripping with fake calmness. But I knew that look. The tight jaw, the flick of his wrist, the way his eyes narrowed just a fraction…Xavier was already pissed."Your Highness..." I smiled sweetly and tightened my grip on Nick’s arm. "Don’t you know? Nick and I go way back."Nick stayed silent. Good. I kept talking. "We
**Xavier**I adjusted the glass cup again, slowly, deliberately, just to make a little sound. Something small enough to catch her attention.Nothing.She stayed glued to her phone, eyes fixed like she was reading the most important message of her life. No glance up. Not even a fucking reaction.No “Good morning, Alpha Xavier.”Nothing.Damn it.Why do I even care?My jaw ticked as I reached for the toast I wasn’t planning to eat. Everything felt dry in my mouth.“Xavy baby!”Trisha’s voice screeched through the air. She slid into the seat beside me without waiting for permission, her perfume overwhelming my senses.Bila growled in my head.“That was supposed to be her seat.”“Shut up”. I told him, but even I didn’t sound convincing anymore.What the hell is wrong with me?That kiss last night—had it scrambled my brain?No.Yes.Hell.Focus, Xavier. You’re not supposed to feel this way about Helena. She’s Elena’s sister. You’re supposed to be in love with Elena. You are in love with El
**Elena**"Move it, dimwit," Trisha hissed as she shoved Ivana aside like a piece of paper.I blinked. What the hell?"What are you doing here, Trisha? And who the hell gave you the right to barge into my room like this?" My voice came out sharp.She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she rolled her eyes and flicked her wrist like I wasn’t worth her time.Her arm lingered in the air as she gave Ivana a death glare."Out," she commanded coldly.Oh no, not happening."You'll stay, Ivana," I said, stepping in before she could take another step. "And you," I turned to Trisha, "what audacity do you have talking to my maid like that?"My heart was pounding now. What was she up to ?"What do you want, huh? You know what..leave. Now."But she didn’t flinch."Shut up, you bitch," she snapped, her eyes glinting with hate. "You should be grateful I even decided to meet you face-to-face."I scoffed. Of course. She had nothing to do. Nothing but to come all the way from her wing to throw insult