All Chapters of Once sold, Forever mine: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

Elena pov,“Sleep with him.”For a moment, I thought Matteo was joking.The clinking sounds of dishes in the restaurant faded into the background, and the air between us became painfully still.“What?” I asked, maybe I had misheard.Matteo leaned forward, lowering his voice like someone discussing a business transaction instead of shattering a life.“Just one night,” he repeated.My chest tightened so violently it felt like my heart had skipped a beat.Across the table, the candlelight flickered over his face–the same face I had loved for five years.The same man who had proposed to me three months ago with trembling hands along with his promises of forever.Now he wouldn't even meet my eyes.“Matteo,” I said slowly, “tell me you didn't just ask me to sleep with another man.”He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated that I was making it more difficult for him.“It's not like that.”“Not like that–huh.”My fingers curled against the edge of the table.“Then what exactly is it

Elena's pov,The silence between us stretched.Adrian Laurent stood only a few feet away, watching me like I was some kind of strange puzzle he couldn't quite solve.It made my skin itch, I shifted slightly under his gaze.“You said this night became interesting , “ I said carefully. “Why?”Adrian's lips curved faintly.Instead of answering, he walked past me towards the bar near the window.“Drink?” he asked.“No.”I watched him pour himself another glass of whiskey anyway. The ice clinked softly as he swirled it.“You're nervous,” he said without looking at me “I think that's a normal reaction,” I replied.“That depends.”“On what?”“On whether you came here willingly.”My chest tightened again.“I told you already. I did.”Adrian turned, then he leaned casually against the marble counter.His gaze swept over me slowly—this time it was not in a crude way, but I was careful.Like he was studying something rare.“You ‘re not dressed like someone who came here willingly,” he said.I g

Elena's povThe elevator ride down felt unreal.The glass walls reflected my face over and over agian—I was now pale, shocked and my feelings?— hollow.A woman who had just discovered that the man she loved had traded her like a merchandise.And even worse….He was celebrating his engagement to her sister while she stood in another man's penthouse. My hand tightened around my purse. Inside it, was my engagement ring which now felt heavier than before.As if it carried all the weight of the lie Matteo had ever told me.When the elevator doors opened into the lobby, the receptionist glanced up again.Her polite smile returned.“Good evening , Miss Rivera.”I nodded stiffly and walked towards the glass doors.Outside the building, the cold night air slapped my face and for a moment there, i just stood on the side walk, staring up at the towering building behind me.I could have just gone home, crawled onto my bed and pretend none of those happened.But the thought of it, made something

Elena's pov.The ballroom doors closed loudly behind us and just like that, the noise of Matteo and Sofia's engagement party disappeared. The hallway outside was quiet— almost too quiet and for the next second, neither I nor Adrian said a word.We both walked side by side through the hotel corridor, along with the soft muffling of our footsteps . My heart was still racing and everything that had just happened replayed in my mind like a storm I couldn't escape.From the accusations to the humiliation—and down to the way Adrian had walked in and turned the entire room upside down with that one sentence.“Taking My Wife Home….” Jeez.. it kept ringing in my head .I finally stopped Walking and Adrian? He had already taken an extra step before he realized that I wasn't beside him anymore.He slowly turned towards me, as his eyes grew with concern.“What is it?”I stared at him confused. “You can just go around saying things like that. ““Like what?” He asked, his expression still calm lik