جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 5

The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Elara Vance’s office, casting warm golden streaks across the polished wooden desk. For three years, this space had been her sanctuary—proof that she could stand on her own, that she didn’t need anyone to build a successful life. She ran a thriving interior design firm, her name known and respected in the business world, and to the outside world, she was the picture of confidence and contentment.But behind her calm smile, Elara carried a heavy burden. Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the man who had once been her world: Kian Vance. The man who had been her husband, her partner, her everything—until he had turned cold, distant, and cruel. One day, without warning, he had filed for divorce, stripped her of the assets they had built together, and told her in a voice as cold as ice: “You are not worthy of being my wife. Leave my life and never return.”Those words had broken her. For months, she had grieved, fe

In the three days leading up to the surgery, Elara spent almost every waking hour at the hospital. She told herself she was there to make sure everything went smoothly, to oversee the preparations, but deep down, she knew it was more than that. Every hour she spent with Kian felt like she was getting back the years they had lost, one conversation at a time.Kian was still weak, but whenever Elara was near, his eyes held a brightness she hadn’t seen in years. They talked late into the nights—about the early days of their marriage, about the dreams they had shared, and most of all, about the pain of the separation.“I hated myself every single day I was away from you,” Kian admitted one evening, his voice soft as he held her hand gently, afraid he might break her. “Every harsh word I said, every cold look I gave you… it felt like I was tearing my own heart out. But I thought it was the only way. I thought if you hated me, you’d be safe.”Elara wiped the tear that rolled down his cheek,

Silence filled the hospital room long after the police dragged Elena away. Her screams and curses faded as they walked down the hallway, but her last words echoed sharply in Elara’s mind: “This isn’t over! There are more of us! They are still out there, and they will destroy everything you love!”Elara sank into the chair beside Kian’s bed, her whole body still trembling. All those years of friendship, every tear she had shared with the woman she considered her sister, every secret she had entrusted to her—none of it was real. The pain she felt now cut deeper than the heartbreak of her divorce. Back then, she thought she had lost the man she loved; now, she realized she had been betrayed by the person she trusted the most.She felt Kian’s warm hand wrap around hers, holding it firmly. Even though he was still weak from the surgery, his grip was steady and protective.“I knew she was never truly on our side,” Kian said softly, his voice hoarse but clear. “Even when we were still marrie