Elena POV
Seeing my dad standing by my cottage hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn’t expecting him, and the sight of him brought up a whirlwind of emotions—surprise, anger, and that deep-seated hurt I’d been trying to ignore for months. I froze, my heart racing as I tried to figure out what to say.
“Dad?” I called out, my voice colder than I meant it to be. “What are you doing here?”
Thalia, walking beside me, immediately picked up on the tension. She glanced between us, her eyes narrowing slightly as she read the situation. “I’ll, uh, catch you later, Elena,” she said, giving my arm a quick squeeze before stepping back. “Call me if you need anything.”
Part of me wanted to ask her to stay, to keep things from getting too intense, but I knew it wouldn’t help. This was something I had to
