Elena's POV
Seeing Sebastian again broke something in me.
Not in a painful way. Not in the way Damian once shattered me. No — this was different. This was quiet. Gentle. Like a door I'd closed too quickly… creaking open again.
He looked the same. A little paler. A little thinner. But his eyes — they still held that same steady warmth. Like I was someone worth looking at.
And for a second, I forgot everything. Forgot the betrayal. The scars. The war I'd fought since leaving him.
"Sebastian…" I whispered his name, and it felt foreign in my mouth. Too heavy, too familiar.
He smiled — barely — and said, "I'm glad you're safe."
That was it.
No accusations. No anger. Just kindness. Still.
I should've looked away. Should've turned around and run back to Julian. But my feet didn't move. My chest didn't stop aching.
