Elena's POV
Morning came too fast.
I hadn't slept. Not really. Just drifted in and out of fragments—Sebastian's breathing, the echo of a gunshot, Julian's message. All of it blurred in the quiet hours between night and now.
The sky outside was still grey. The kind of grey that didn't promise peace. Just more waiting.
I slipped out of the room before Sebastian woke.
The guards were still stationed at the door, stoic and silent like stone. One of them nodded at me. I didn't nod back. I couldn't.
In the kitchen, I poured myself a glass of water. My hands shook.
Sebastian loved me.
Julian was breaking.
And I was stuck somewhere in between—guilt clinging to me like smoke I couldn't wash off.
I stared at the phone on the counter. I hadn't touched it since last night. Julian's message was still there. Not replied.
I told myself I needed clarity. I told myself the silence was protection.
But maybe I was just scared of what I'd say… and what it would mean.
