FALLING FOR MY FATHER'S BEST FRIEND

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Chapter 3

Her only chance was coming.

The evening after the painful encounter at the market, Elena finished washing the last dish in the kitchen. Her hands were wet and shaking a little. Her eyes were still red from all the crying she did after running home. The bruise on her cheek felt hot and painful. She dried her hands on the towel and took a deep breath. The house felt very quiet, but the silence was heavy.

“Everyone come to the living room right now!” Sophia called loudly from the living room. Her voice was sharp and serious.

Elena’s heart started beating very fast. She walked slowly to the living room. Lucas was already sitting on the sofa. Her stepfather sat in the big armchair with his arms crossed. Sophia stood in the middle of the room with a cold and serious expression on her face.

“Sit down, Elena,” her mother said in a firm voice.

Elena sat down beside Lucas. She kept her hands in her lap and looked down at the floor. She tried to hide the redness in her eyes.

Sophia took a long breath and started speaking. “We received an official message from the Alpha Council this afternoon. Your stepfather and I are being sent overseas for a very important mission for the pack. We will leave in three days. The mission is expected to take many months, maybe even close to a year.”

The room became completely silent. Elena felt like she could not breathe properly. She slowly looked up at her mother.

Sophia continued in her cold voice. “Lucas, you will go with us. The Council has arranged special warrior training for promising young wolves like you. This is a great opportunity for your future in the pack. You will train hard and become stronger.”

Lucas nodded his head quietly. He looked a bit excited but also a little worried. He glanced at Elena for a short moment.

Elena waited. Her hands were shaking in her lap. She already knew what was coming for her.

Sophia turned her cold eyes to Elena. “As for you, Elena… we have discussed it and made a decision. We are entrusting you to Damien Blackthorn. He was your father’s best friend. He is a powerful and respected Alpha. He has agreed to take you in and be your guardian until you turn eighteen. You will move to his big estate the day after tomorrow.”

The words hit Elena very hard.

She sat completely still. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest. Her mouth felt dry. Her hands were shaking more now. Damien Blackthorn.

This was the man she had been deeply obsessed with since her teenage years. The handsome, noble gentleman who had appeared in her steamy and beautiful dreams countless times. In those dreams, he would hold her, kiss her passionately, touch her body with his strong hands, and whisper her name with hunger. She had repressed these forbidden feelings for many years because he was her father’s best friend. He was older. He was engaged to Lila.

And now her parents were giving her to him.

This was her only chance in life to get him.

Elena felt many different emotions at the same time. She felt nervous and scared about leaving the only home she had ever known. She felt sad about leaving Lucas and Mia. But deep inside her chest, there was a warm and secret excitement. She would live in the same house as Damien. She would see him every day. She would wake up under the same roof as the man she had loved in silence for so long.

Sophia kept talking for a long time. She gave many instructions and warnings. “You must behave very well there. Do not cause any trouble for Damien. Do not embarrass this family. He is only doing this as a favor to your late father. Lila, his fiancée, will also be living there, so you must know your place. Stay out of their way. Do all the chores they give you. Do not speak unless you are spoken to. Do not look at him too much. Be invisible if you have to.”

Every word about Lila felt like a small knife in Elena’s heart. She remembered how Damien pretended not to see her bruise at the market earlier that day. The memory still hurt, but her love for him was stronger than the pain.

After Sophia finished speaking, the family meeting ended. Her parents went upstairs to start packing their things and make phone calls. Lucas stayed in the living room with Elena.

He moved closer to her on the sofa. “Elena… are you really okay with this?” he asked in a soft and gentle voice.

Elena nodded slowly. “It is very sudden. I did not expect it at all.”

Lucas sighed. “Mother is always very hard on you. I see it every day. I know it is not fair. Living with Alpha Damien will be better than staying here. His estate is very big and safe. You will have your own room. You will not have to do as many hard chores every day. He is a good and honorable man, even if he is strict sometimes.”

Elena did not tell him about what happened at the market. She only smiled a little and leaned against her brother. His arm around her shoulders felt warm and comforting. It was rare for Lucas to show this side of himself. For a few minutes, Elena felt a little better.

Later that night, Elena went to her small room. She could not sleep. She lay in her bed for many hours, staring at the ceiling. She thought about Damien again and again. She remembered all her steamy dreams. She imagined what his big estate looked like. She imagined seeing him every morning at breakfast. She imagined him finally noticing her as a woman and not just as his late friend’s daughter.

The next two days passed very quickly. Elena packed her small suitcase with her simple clothes, a few books, and the one nice dress Mia had given her. She met Mia one last time secretly and told her the news. Mia hugged her tightly and promised to visit when she could.

On the morning of the move, Elena sat in the living room with her suitcase beside her. Her heart was beating very fast. She was nervous but also full of hope.

This was the beginning of her only chance.