{Nico’s pov}
She turned to leave again, but I grabbed her hand.
“Elena”
She yanked her arm away like my touch burned.
“Don’t,” she snapped. “Don’t touch me, don’t lie to me, don’t say my name like it means something.”
The storm was back in her voice. But this time, it wasn’t fear. It was power. Fury. Betrayal.
“Do you have any idea what it feels like,” she said through clenched teeth, “to wake up with no memory, only to find out that I was sold like furniture? That the one person I should have been able to trust was sitting in the front row with a f***ing paddle in his hand?”
“Elena, I saved you.”
“No. You bought me.”
Her words struck like bullets. Clean. Cold. Measured.
And I had no armor left.
I took a breath, forced the words out. “Yes. I bought you. But not to own you. Never
