**Elena**I pressed the phone tighter against my ear, trying to steady my voice. "Hi.""How have you been, Elena?" Her voice was soft, almost casual.I clenched my jaw. “Cut to the chase. What do you want?” I said coldly, not wasting time."That's harsh," she replied, a hint of hurt in her tone. "C'mon, can't I ask how you're doing, Ena?"Ena? That name felt like a knife twisting in my gut. "Please. You don’t have the right to call me that again," I snapped. "Now, why did you call?"There was a long sigh on the other end. "We’re almost at the mansion," she said quietly. "I thought... maybe we could meet. Talk."I swallowed the lump in my throat "There’s no need. I’m out of town," I lied smoothly. "Enjoy the birthday party." And just like that, I ended the call.I dropped the phone on the table, heart pounding. Had to lie. She has no idea of my marriage with Xavier. Nor the whole mask thing.Turning to Ivana, I forced a smile. "So, you were saying?"She stared at me, disbelief written
**Elena**“You know what... stay back,” I said sharply, pulling away from him. My voice was firm. “I don’t need your pity, Alpha Xavier.”He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off before a word could escape.“It’s alright,” I said, forcing the calmness I didn’t feel. “I totally understand. When the time comes, I’ll end everything. For now, just pretend I don’t exist. And I’ll try not to be in your skin.” With that, I turned and walked away.My footsteps echoed down the hall, but inside, my mind was racing. The walk to my room felt endless, like time had slowed just to torment me. A sharp headache was creeping in…one I’d been trying to ignore all day. I glanced down at my arm. The skin was bright red where Xavier and Mortina had grabbed me. Mortina’s grip barely hurt, but Xavier’s left a sting that burned deep.I pulled off my shirt and stared at the mate mark. It was swollen and red, a vivid reminder of the tension between us. Somehow I wondered if he felt it too. Thi
**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