Chapter 13 – The Warning in the Night
699 Words
Elena didn’t sleep that night.
Even after Dominic left her room—reluctantly, as if he didn’t trust the walls to keep her safe—the echo of his words followed her like shadows.
*Someone from your past has been looking for you… for years.*
The thought settled in her chest like a stone.
Elena sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees as the minutes dragged into hours. The night outside the window was silent, almost too silent. The Castellanos estate was usually alive with distant engines, footsteps, guards switching shifts.
Tonight… nothing.
As if the world was holding its breath.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
Her heart jumped.
“Elena,” Dominic’s voice came, low and steady.
She opened the door immediately.
He stood there in fresh clothes, hair slightly damp, as if he’d showered quickly. But his eyes—they were tired. Guarded. And still burning.
“Are you alright?” he asked softly.
She shook her head. “No.”
Without asking permission, he stepped in and closed the door behind him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Dominic looked at her like he was trying to memorize every detail, as if she might disappear between blinks.
“Elena,” he murmured, “I need you to tell me something.”
Her heart stilled.
“I told you,” she whispered. “I don’t remember anything dangerous from my past.”
“I know.” His voice softened even more. “But fear leaves traces. Even if memories don’t.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
Dominic stepped closer, lifting her chin gently with two fingers.
“When I found Nathan,” he said slowly, “he wasn’t afraid of death. He was afraid of the person who wants you.”
A chill spread through her bones.
Elena swallowed hard. “Dominic… what did he say exactly?”
Dominic hesitated. He didn’t want to scare her—but the truth was already between them.
“He said,” Dominic whispered, “that this person isn’t coming to *harm* you.”
Her breath caught. “Then why—”
“They’re coming to *take* you.”
Elena’s entire body went cold.
*Take her?*
Take her where?
Take her why?
Dominic seemed to read the panic in her eyes. His hands rose to cup her cheeks, gently but firmly grounding her.
“No one is taking you,” he said, voice low, iron-strong. “Even if your past comes knocking, even if the whole world comes… you stay here. With me.”
Something inside her chest twisted—fear, yes, but also something warm and dangerous. Something that felt like trust… or the beginning of it.
Before she could respond, a sharp sound broke through the silence.
A single, echoing clang.
Metal hitting stone.
Dominic’s head snapped toward the window instantly.
Elena froze. “What was that?”
He moved fast—crossing the room, pulling the curtains aside.
Nothing.
Just darkness.
But Dominic’s shoulders tensed. “Someone’s on the property.”
Elena’s blood turned to ice. “Nathan’s friends?”
“No.” Dominic’s voice dropped into something colder. “Whoever’s here… they’re not here for Nathan.”
He turned back to her, jaw clenched.
“They’re here for *you*.”
Before Elena could breathe, another sound echoed through the night.
This time… closer.
A soft tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Like fingers on glass.
Dominic moved in front of her immediately, shielding her with his body.
“Elena,” he whispered, “stay behind me.”
Her heart hammered wildly as both of them stared at the window.
Another tap.
This time louder.
And then—
A voice.
A whisper so faint it might have been the wind.
But Elena heard it.
Clear.
Cold.
Familiar in a way that made her blood rush to her ears.
“Elena… I found you.”
She gasped, stumbling back.
Dominic turned sharply. “Who said that?”
But Elena was already shaking her head violently.
“I—I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t know… but—”
Her voice broke.
“Dominic… I think I’ve heard that voice before.”
- Writer
