**Elena’s POV**
“What did you just say?” My voice came out thin, my brows pulled together on their own.
Dante took one slow, deliberate step toward me. He smiled, but it wasn’t the smile of my friend. It was the smile of a man who had finally caught what he was hunting. “I said, Welcome home, Ellie.”
My heartbeat pounded against my ribs, a frantic drumming that made my chest ache. I stepped back. Just one step, but he noticed. His eyes tracked the movement like a hawk.
“This was fate,” he said, his voice soft, almost melodic. “I’ve had this place ready for weeks. Once things settled, I was going to take you away from Stefano, as I promised. You and I... we’ll stay here, just us. No one can find us. No one can interfere.”
I stepped back again. The air felt heavier. “I don’t understand,
