All Chapters of Scars of the Heart: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The cold wind bit into Elena’s cheeks as she stepped out into the night, her coat barely shielding her from the chill creeping under her skin. The streets were eerily quiet, her heels clicked against the pavement like a metronome to her racing heart.Lucian’s message hadn’t left her mind since she read it.>We need to talk. Tonight. Come alone.She could have ignored it. She could have just shut the door, locked it, and stayed wrapped up in the quiet warmth of Sophie’s innocent world. But something in Lucian’s tone... something unspoken told her she couldn’t.She drove across town in silence, eyes flickering between the road and the shadows that moved too fast for comfort. When she arrived at his private penthouse—the one few people knew he owned—her heart thudded with a strange mix of apprehension and dread.The building security greeted her without question. Of course. Lucian had cleared her entry long ago.The elevator ride up felt endless.When the doors opened, she stepped into t

The air outside Lucian’s estate was heavy with sirens and flashing lights. Police cruisers, ambulances, and an unmarked black SUV had surrounded the grounds. Elena stood on the edge of the driveway, Sophie clutched tightly in her arms. Grayson hovered at her side, protective and watchful, his knuckles still raw from the confrontation. Rosa sat silently on the steps, the gun she’d fired placed gently beside her, now wrapped in a plastic evidence bag.Lucian had been rushed away in an ambulance, unconscious but alive.Alive.The word tasted like acid on Elena’s tongue.She wanted him dead.Detective Ramirez, a sharp-eyed woman with short black hair and an air of authority, pulled Elena aside as the medics finished checking Sophie for signs of injury."We need a statement," Ramirez said, glancing back at the mansion. "And I have to warn you—this won’t be an easy case. Lucian Voss has political leverage, money, and ties to some very powerful people."Elena nodded slowly."That man kidnapp

The screen flickered, and Elena's breath caught in her throat. The live feed displayed Sophie's room from a chilling overhead angle. Sophie, still in her pajamas, sat on the bed braiding her doll's hair, completely unaware she was being watched."Oh my God," Elena whispered.Grayson slammed the laptop shut, rising to his feet with fury vibrating through every inch of him. "He's in the house."Rosa was already moving, pulling a handgun from beneath a floorboard. "I'll check the perimeter."Elena bolted up the stairs, her heart hammering. She threw open Sophie’s door, trying to hide the terror behind her smile. "Hey, baby. How’s your doll?"Sophie looked up with a grin. "She's ready for the ball."Elena stepped inside and subtly scanned the room. Nothing looked out of place. No open windows. No forced doors. But the camera had to be here. Watching, and waiting."Can you help Mommy find the earring I dropped earlier?" she asked, crouching to the floor.Sophie nodded and slid to the rug.

Rain kissed the rooftops of Venice as Elena watched the city disappear behind the mist. The small speedboat skated across the water with Rosa at the helm and Sophie nestled tightly in Elena’s arms, her tiny body still trembling. Grayson’s blood was on her hands. She stared at the red streaks on her fingers, willing herself not to unravel. “Mommy,” Sophie whispered, her voice hoarse. “Is Daddy going to die?” Elena looked down into those eyes–her eyes wide and shimmering with fear. Her heart clenched. “No, baby. Your daddy’s too strong to give up.” Even if she wasn’t sure. Rosa brought them to a private dock, tucked behind a nondescript warehouse on the far edge of the city. Waiting there was Dr. Paolo Ventresca, a long-retired surgeon whom Samuel had once trusted back when he still believed in helping people rather than controlling them. Grayson lay unconscious in the back of the boat, his skin pale, and soaked with blood. Rosa and the doctor carried him carefully into the makeshi

The alpine air was sharp and quiet the next morning, as if the mountains themselves held their breath.Elena stood on the edge of the cliff behind the safehouse, staring out over the valley blanketed in pristine snow. The wind tugged at her coat and hair, but she didn’t move. She held the photo of Lucian Monroe in one hand, the edges already worn from handling it all night. She’d memorized every scar on his face, every shadow in his eyes. The same eyes her brother had once shared with her—before everything was taken.Behind her, the door creaked open.“I figured I’d find you out here,” Grayson said, his voice soft. “You didn’t sleep.”“I couldn’t.” Elena didn’t look back. “Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. My brother’s face… or what’s left of it.”Grayson walked up beside her, his steps crunching in the snow. “You don’t have to carry this alone.”“But I do, don’t I?” she replied, finally turning to him. Her eyes shimmered with exhaustion and something more–grief. “If Monroe