Elena’s POV:
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, my breath sharp and ragged as I tore through the night. My heart thundered, fear gripping me like an iron vice. I didn’t stop running until my house came into view.
The lights were dim, and no one was outside. A stroke of luck.
I stumbled toward the back entrance, yanking the door open and slipping inside. The house was eerily silent, the usual bustling noise absent. My hands trembled as I held my torn dress close to cover my exposed skin.
With each step, I felt like my lungs would collapse. I reached the stairs, my limbs burning as I climbed them two at a time. My room was only a few steps away now. Just a little more…
I pushed the door open and slipped inside, shutting it behind me as if that thin piece of wood could keep
