Chapter 23: Tangled Lies
(Elina's POV)
The robotic beep of the apartment security pad echoed in the quiet hallway. My fingers hovered over the keypad before keying in the code Damon had given me long ago. To my surprise, it worked.
He hadn’t changed it.
My chest tightened. It was such a small thing, but it unsettled me. He knew I wasn’t coming here often anymore. Why wouldn’t he lock me out like he did with so many other parts of himself?
The door creaked open, and the faint scent of cleaning products filled the air. Every surface seemed polished to perfection, the lingering traces of a recent cleaning crew obvious.
But it was the lack of his signature alpha scent that caught my attention.
“Damon?” I called cautiously, stepping inside, my voice cutting through the uneasy quie
