Chapter 51 – The Weight of Truth
The night had not been kind. The storm that rolled in had shaken the old walls of the Ridge until dawn, and by morning, the silence that followed felt even heavier than the thunder had been. The house itself seemed to be holding its breath, listening, waiting for someone to break the tension that now threaded through its halls.
Elena sat by the window, the lace curtain brushing against her arm as the early light painted pale streaks across her face. Her fingers tightened around the pendant she wore—Damien’s mother’s pendant—the one he had given her when he’d finally allowed himself to be vulnerable with her. But now, even that small comfort felt like it carried the weight of a thousand unspoken truths.
Damien entered quietly, his presence as commanding a
