**Elena’s POV**
The house felt like a tomb.
What was going on?
The question kept clawing at my mind, over and over, as I watched the minute hand on the wall clock crawl. It was almost 10 p.m. My chest was so tight it felt like my ribs were shrinking, crushing my heart.
Stefano had promised he wouldn’t be long, but almost ten hours had passed, and he still wasn't back yet.
I exhaled a jagged breath, trying to loosen the knot in my stomach that had tightened since noon. I had tried everything to drown out the worry. I walked the perimeter of the compound until the soles of my feet throbbed. I stayed in the garden until the sun went down, running my fingers over flower petals, trying to find peace in the scent of jasmine, which refused to calm me. I even helped Martina in the kitchen, c
