Chapter four
588 Words
Elena didn’t sleep after what transpired at the gallery. Damian’s words replayed over and over in her head: Choices come with consequences.
By morning, she had decided one thing; she wasn’t going to let Damian run her life again.
Claire noticed her mood as they arranged new canvases in the gallery. “You look like you’re marching to war.”
“Maybe I am,” Elena muttered.
Before Claire could pry, Adrian entered. He greeted Elena with his usual warmth but his eyes searched her face.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Elena said quickly.
“You weren’t fine last night,” Adrian pressed gently. “The way that man looked at you… Elena, if he’s bothering you, I need to know.”
She hesitated. Part of her wanted to unload everything; the lies, the obsession, the way Damian consumed every corner of her life. But speaking it aloud made it real.
“He’s someone from my past,” she said finally. “He doesn’t matter anymore.”
Adrian’s brow furrowed. “He seems to think otherwise.”
Before Elena could answer, the door swung open. Damian walked in, uninvited as always.
“Elena,” he said smoothly, ignoring Adrian completely. “We need to talk.”
Adrian stepped forward, protective. “She doesn’t owe you anything.”
Damian’s gaze slid to him, cold and sharp. “This is between us. Step aside.”
Elena planted herself between them. “No. Whatever you have to say, say it here.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed. “Fine.” His voice softened, but there was steel beneath. “You’re not safe, Elena. I warned you before. My enemies know who you are. Do you think a little gallery protects you? Do you think he protects you?” He jerked his chin toward Adrian.
Adrian’s jaw tightened. “She doesn’t need protecting. Not from you.”
Damian’s lips curled. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Elena’s heart pounded. “Stop it! I won’t live like this…two men arguing over me like I’m property. I left you because I wanted freedom, Damian. And I won’t let you take it again.”
For a second, Damian looked stricken. Then his expression hardened. “You think freedom keeps you warm at night? Keeps you alive when the knives come out?”
Adrian bristled. “Is that a threat?”
Damian smirked darkly. “It’s a reality. She knows it.”
Elena clenched her fists. “I don’t need you.”
Damian leaned closer, his voice low and dangerous. “Then prove it, Elena. Tell me you don’t love me. Look me in the eye and say it.”
Her breath caught. She opened her mouth but the words stuck.
Adrian’s eyes searched hers, silently begging her to say it. But she couldn’t.
Damian’s smile was triumphant, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Exactly.”
He straightened, turning toward the door. “You can pretend all you want. But we both know how this ends.”
With that, he walked out, leaving silence in his wake.
Adrian turned to Elena, hurt flickering across his face. “Why couldn’t you say it?”
Her throat tightened. “Because it’s complicated.”
Adrian studied her for a long moment. “Complicated… or unfinished?”
She had no answer.
Elena watched Adrian walk away, her chest aching. For the first time, she wondered if Damian was right; if some bonds couldn’t be severed, no matter how much you ran.
- Writer
