Unwanted Tension

Elena’s POV

The name slipped out of my lips before I could stop myself, and the moment it did, the entire room fell into a suffocating silence.

Her eyes locked onto mine, widened with shock, fear, and something darker as though she was calculating something.

I staggered back and almost tripped. Never in a million years did I ever think I was going to meet my sister barely a week after my return to the city.

My eyes stung with tears as the painful memory of everything she had done to me came flooding down my memory.

My heart slammed hard against my chest as the past came crashing into me all at once. The betrayal, humiliation, and night everything in my life shattered.

“Elena?” Dominic’s deep voice cut through the tension, pulling me back to the present.

I froze and turned towards him.

My throat tightened as I turned to look at him, only to find his sharp gaze shifting between the both of us, clearly picking up on the strange energy in the room.

“You know each other?” he asked, his tone calm but probing.

I parted my lips to speak, but before I could say a word, an answer was given.

“I don’t.” Mabel’s voice came out quickly, and I turned to look at her, my brows furrowing slightly.

Her expression had already changed. The shock was gone, replaced with a forced calmness as she straightened her posture.

“I’ve never seen her before,” she added, her tone steady, but her eyes were warning me.

A silent threat…

My fingers curled slightly at my sides. Never seen me before? After everything?

I swallowed hard, forcing the emotions down. This wasn’t the place, or the time.

“And you?”Dominic’s gaze shifted to me again, and I held his gaze for a brief moment before shaking my head slowly.

“No… I don’t know her,” I replied quietly.

The lie tasted bitter in my mouth, but I forced it out anyway. His eyes lingered on me for a second longer, as if trying to read something beneath my words, before he nodded slowly.

“Then that’s strange,” he muttered under his breath, and Mabel suddenly let out a scoff.

“I don’t like this,” she said sharply, folding her arms across her chest. Her tone had changed again, this time laced with irritation.

“Bringing a complete stranger into our home just because Nora said a few words? This is ridiculous.” Her words were harsh, almost defensive.

Nora, who was still clinging tightly to me, tightened her grip even more at Mabel’s tone. I instinctively pulled her closer, and Dominic’s expression hardened slightly.

“That ‘stranger’ is the reason Nora spoke for the first time,” he said firmly.

“And that alone makes her important.” Mabel’s jaw clenched.

“Well, I don’t approve,” she snapped, and the air between them shifted instantly.

Dominic stared at her for a few seconds, his expression unreadable. Then, without another word, Mabel turned on her heels and stormed out of the room.

The sharp click of her heels echoed loudly as she disappeared down the hallway. Silence filled the room again, and I exhaled slowly, not even realizing I had been holding my breath.

“I apologize for that,” Dominic said suddenly, and I looked up at him. His tone was calm again, composed, but there was a faint edge to it.

“She can be… difficult.” He stuttured, and I forced a small smile trying to shake away the awkwardness I was feeling.

“It’s fine,” I replied softly, and his gaze lingered on me for a moment before he nodded.

“I’ll go speak to her,” he said, then he turned and walked out of the room.

The moment he was gone, the tension in my chest didn’t ease. If anything, it got worse. I lowered my gaze slowly, staring at Nora who was still wrapped around me like I might disappear if she let go.

“Elena…” she whispered softly, and my heart clenched. I gently brushed her hair back, forcing a smile.

“It’s okay,” I murmured, but it wasn’t. Nothing about this was okay. I had just found out that my sister who slept with my ex fiancé is the mother of the child I am supposed to tutor.

How can anything be okay?

My grip tightened slightly around Lucas’s hand, pulling him closer to me as well as I heaved a deep sigh

My mind raced.

What was I even doing here? Of all the places in this city, and of all the people. Why here? Why her?

I could still see the look in Mabel’s eyes. The pure hatred she had always had for me was somehow still there, and a cold shiver ran down my spine at the thought of that.

I couldn’t stay here.

No!

I shouldn’t stay here.

No matter how much Nora clung to me, no matter how much something inside me refused to let go, this place was dangerous.

“I think we should go,” I whispered softly, more to myself than to the children, and Lucas looked up at me immediately.

“Go where, Mom?” he asked innocently, and I swallowed.

“Home,” I replied.

Yes!

That was the right thing to do before things got complicated. I have managed to put everything behind me and moved on beautifully with my son, I'm not willing to open old wounds.

Carefully, I gently eased Nora’s arms from around me. Her grip resisted at first, her small fingers tightening against my clothes.

“Elena…” she called softly, her voice trembling slightly.

My chest tightened painfully as I stared at the little girl beside me.

“I’ll see you again, okay?” I said gently, even though I wasn’t sure if that was a promise I could keep. Her hazel eyes stared up at me, searching, and pleading.

It made my decision feel heavier, but I forced myself to stand. I took Lucas’s hand firmly in mine and turned toward the hallway.

I needed to find Mr Dominic, decline the offer and leave before I made a mistake I couldn’t take back.

As I walked down the corridor, my steps slowed when I noticed a door slightly open. Voices drifted out from inside, forcing me to a halt.

I shouldn’t listen, I knew that, but my feet refused to move.

“I already told you, I don’t approve of this!” Mabel’s voice came out sharp and agitated from inside the room.

“And I already told you, this isn’t about approval.” Dominic’s voice followed, calm but firm.

“She is a stranger, Dominic!” Mabel snapped.

“And she is a professional,” he shot back immediately, and silence followed briefly. Then his voice came again, lower this time.

“Nora spoke today just like she did yesterday when she saw Elena. It's no longer a coincidence.” His voice was firm.

“For the first time in four years,” he added, there was a pause.

“You should be happy about that,” Dominic continued, but his tone was different now. It colder, and more serious.

“But instead, you’re fighting me over the one person who made that happen.” He scoffed, and I pressed my lips together tightly.

“I'm going to run a background check on her anyways.” Dominic revealed.

“What! No!” Mabel yelled, and there was another round of silence.

“Is there something I'm supposed to know?” He asked.

“Of course not, it's just that uhmm…” I could hear the panic in her voice.

“Then what is it?” He was losing his patience.

Mabel didn’t respond immediately, but when she finally spoke, her voice was quieter.

“I'm sorry, Dominic. I didn’t mean to upset you. It's just that you don’t know anything about her,” she said.

“Neither do you,” Dominic replied without hesitation, and another silence stretched between

“Fine,” she said, but the word came out forced. I blinked slowly, and my heart skipped.

She agreed?

“Good,” Dominic said shortly.

Suddenly the door swung open. I didn’t realize how close I had leaned against the door until my body lost balance instantly.

“Aah!” I stumbled forward.

Before I could hit the ground, a strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back firmly. My breath hitched, and my hands instinctively grabbed onto his shirt.

For a moment, everything froze. I looked up, and met his eyes.