001

**Elara Pov**

The hallway smelled like lemon polish and fresh flowers as I walked behind my mother, my old sneakers sinking into the thick cream carpet. Each step felt wrong, like I was walking on something too expensive for my feet. The walls were lined with framed photos of Richard shaking hands with important people. None of them smiled.

My mother turned to me with bright eyes. "Isn't this beautiful, Elara? Just look at this place."

I nodded because I did not know what else to do. My throat was tight. My hands were cold even though the house was warm.

"Richard said Kael is home today," my mother said lightly, but there was something careful in her voice.

I stopped walking. "You did not tell me he would be here."

"I did not want you to worry."

"Worry?" I stared at her. "Mom, he made my life hell for four years. You think I would worry?"

She sighed and touched my arm. "I know, sweetheart. But this is different now. We are family. He will have to accept that."

I pulled away from her. "You do not understand. He will never accept me. He hates me."

"Hate is a strong word."

"It is the right word."

My mother opened her mouth to respond, but a voice cut through the hallway before she could speak.

"Well, well."

I froze. That voice. I knew that voice. It lived in my nightmares, in the back of my mind, in every moment of doubt I had ever had about myself.

I turned slowly.

Kael stood in the doorway of the living room, arms crossed over his chest. He was taller than I remembered. Broader too. Hockey had shaped him into something solid and dangerous. His dark hair was messy, and his jaw was sharp enough to cut glass. But it was his eyes that held me frozen. They were cold and full of something I recognized too well.

Disgust.

"The scholarship girl finally made it to the big house," he said, and there was a smile on his lips that did not reach his eyes. "Guess your mom really knows how to climb the ladder, huh?"

The words hit me like a slap. My face burned, and I wanted to disappear into the floor.

"Kael." Richard appeared behind him, his voice sharp. "That is enough."

Kael shrugged. "Just being honest, Dad. You know how much I value honesty."

"Show some respect," Richard said. "Elara and her mother are part of this family now."

"Family?" Kael laughed, but there was no humor in it. "We are not family. We are strangers living in the same house."

"Kael—"

"It is fine." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. My voice was quiet, but steady. "He can say whatever he wants. I do not care."

Kael's eyes snapped to me. "Oh, she speaks. I was starting to think you had lost your voice along with your dignity."

I met his stare. "And I was starting to think you had grown up. Clearly, I was wrong."

Something flickered in his eyes. Surprise, maybe. Or anger. He stepped closer, and I caught the faint smell of cologne and something sharp beneath it.

"Careful," he said softly. "You are in my house now. My rules."

"Your house?" I tilted my head. "Last time I checked, it was your father's house. You just live here."

My mother grabbed my arm. "Elara, stop."

Kael's jaw tightened. For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us was thick with tension, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I was terrified, but I refused to show it.

Then Richard stepped between us. "Enough. Both of you."

Kael held my gaze for one more second before stepping back. He smiled again, but this time it was darker, more dangerous.

"Welcome to the family, Elara," he said. "I hope you enjoy your stay. However long it lasts."

He walked away, his heavy footsteps echoing through the hallway. The moment he was gone, I felt like I could breathe again. But the damage was already done. My hands were trembling, and there were tears burning behind my eyes.

My mother turned to me. "Why did you provoke him?"

"Provoke him?" I stared at her in disbelief. "He insulted us. He called you a gold digger. And you are blaming me?"

"I am not blaming you. I am just saying that fighting fire with fire will only make things worse."

"Then what should I do, Mom? Sit quietly and let him walk all over me like I did in high school?"

"No." She cupped my face in her hands. "I am asking you to be patient. This is hard for him too."

I pulled away from her. "You always defend everyone except me."

"That is not true."

"Is it not?" The tears spilled over now, hot and angry. "You knew what he did to me. You knew how much I suffered. And you still brought me here. You still made me live under the same roof as him."

My mother's face crumpled. "I did this for us. For our future."

"Your future," I said. "Not mine."

I turned and walked up the grand staircase, my legs unsteady. I found the guest room Richard assigned to me and closed the door. The room was beautiful. It had a large bed with white sheets and a window that overlooked the garden. But I did not see any of it.

I sank onto the floor, pressed my back against the wall, and hugged my knees to my chest. The tears came fast and silent. I cried for the girl I used to be, the one who survived Kael's cruelty once and never thought she would have to face him again. I cried because I was trapped with no where to hide all for the sake of a "Better future" the my Mom had put it. 

Was I being selfish for not wanting any of this even if it meant hurting my Mother? I didn't know. But what I knew was the fact that I wanted to get out of here. Quick and as soon as I can, If possible.