010: The Truth She Overheard

Elena barely slept that night.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Vanessa sitting beside Damian.

Laughing with him.

Sharing memories with him.

Looking completely at home in a place where Elena still felt like a guest.

The worst part wasn't what Damian's father had said.

It was Damian's silence afterward.

He hadn't denied it.

Not once.

By morning, Elena was emotionally exhausted.

She decided to avoid everyone and spend the day alone.

Maybe some distance would help clear her thoughts.

That afternoon, Elena was walking through one of the quieter hallways when she heard voices coming from a nearby study.

Normally, she would have kept walking.

But one voice stopped her.

Damian.

She froze.

The door wasn't fully closed.

Without meaning to, she heard his conversation.

"She still doesn't know?" a man asked.

It sounded like Damian's father.

"No."

Damian's reply was calm.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then his father sighed.

"You can't hide it forever."

Elena frowned.

Hide what?

Her curiosity got the better of her.

She moved closer.

"She already blames me enough," Damian said quietly.

"If she learns the whole truth, she'll hate me."

Elena's heart skipped a beat.

The whole truth?

"What happened wasn't your fault," his father replied.

"Maybe not entirely."

Damian's voice was filled with guilt.

"But I made the decision."

A heavy silence followed.

Then Damian spoke again.

The next words made Elena's blood run cold.

"I left her to protect her."

Elena's breath caught.

Protect her?

Her mind raced.

What did that mean?

Protect her from what?

Before she could hear more, her foot accidentally bumped against a decorative vase beside the wall.

The vase wobbled.

Then crashed onto the floor.

The sound echoed through the hallway.

Inside the study, the conversation stopped immediately.

Elena's eyes widened.

"Oh no."

The door swung open.

Damian stepped out.

His gaze landed on her instantly.

For a second, neither moved.

Neither spoke.

Then Damian's expression hardened.

"How much did you hear?"

Elena swallowed.

"Enough."

A dangerous silence settled between them.

His father appeared behind him.

Looking concerned.

Elena forced herself to meet Damian's eyes.

"What did you mean when you said you left me to protect me?"

Damian's jaw tightened.

"Elena..."

"No."

Her voice shook.

"No more secrets."

The pain she had carried for an entire year came rushing back.

The unanswered messages.

The sudden disappearance.

The heartbreak.

The confusion.

She had lived with all of it.

And now she deserved answers.

"What happened a year ago?" she demanded.

"Why did you leave?"

Damian looked away.

For the first time since she had known him, he seemed unsure of himself.

His father quietly excused himself, leaving them alone.

The hallway suddenly felt too small.

Too quiet.

Too intense.

Finally, Damian spoke.

"Not here."

Elena laughed bitterly.

"Of course."

"Elena."

"There's always an excuse."

His eyes flashed with frustration.

"You don't understand."

"Then make me understand!"

The words echoed through the hall.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then Damian stepped closer.

His voice dropped.

"There are people who wanted to hurt me."

Elena stared at him.

"And because of me..."

His expression darkened.

"They started paying attention to you."

A chill ran through her body.

She remembered strange phone calls.

The feeling of being watched.

The incidents she had dismissed as coincidence.

Suddenly, they didn't seem like coincidences anymore.

"You're lying," she whispered.

"I wish I were."

His answer came immediately.

And that terrified her.

For the first time, Damian wasn't hiding behind sarcasm or coldness.

He looked genuinely afraid.

Afraid for her.

Elena's emotions became tangled.

Anger.

Confusion.

Relief.

Heartbreak.

All at once.

Then another voice interrupted them.

"Well, this is interesting."

Both turned.

Vanessa stood at the end of the hallway.

Watching them.

Smiling.

But this time, the smile looked almost cruel.

And for reasons Elena couldn't explain...

The sight of her made Damian's face go pale.

As if Vanessa had just become the most dangerous person in the house.