Chapter 13 – The Cracks Begin to Show
570 Words
Elena barely slept.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the night’s events in her mind. The way Damon had dismissed her. The way his eyes had darkened when she pushed too hard. And the way her own heart had betrayed her, twisting with something unfamiliar when he had stepped away.
What was it about him that kept pulling her in, even when she knew better?
A sharp knock at her door made her jolt upright.
She hesitated. Damon never knocked.
“Elena,” a voice called—Victor.
Relieved, she got up and opened the door to find the older man standing there, his usual calm expression in place.
“Good morning, Miss Carter,” he greeted. “Mr. Blackwell had left for a meeting. He instructed me to inform you that breakfast has been prepared.”
Of course, Damon was gone. He always left before she woke up, as if avoiding her was his way of maintaining control.
She nodded. “Thank you, Victor.”
As she stepped into the dining room, her stomach turned at the thought of eating alone in the massive penthouse. The silence was oppressive, a reminder of just how isolated Damon kept her.
But today was different.
Today, she wouldn’t sit there and wait for him to decide when she was worth his attention.
She grabbed her coat and turned to Victor. “I want to go out.”
Victor didn’t even blink. “Very well, Miss Carter. Where would you like to go?”
She hadn’t actually thought that far ahead. But anywhere was better than here.
“Just… for a walk,” she said. “I need fresh air.”
Victor studied her for a moment before nodding. “I’ll have the car ready.”
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The city was bustling when she stepped onto the sidewalk. Cars honked, people rushed past, and for the first time in days, Elena felt like she could breathe.
She didn’t get far before she heard a voice behind her.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Damon Blackwell’s newest investment.”
Her blood ran cold.
Turning slowly, she came face to face with Victoria Monroe.
Damon’s ex.
And the woman who had warned her at the gala.
Elena straightened her shoulders. “I don’t have time for this.”
Victoria smirked, tilting her head. “Oh, but you should make time, sweetheart. Especially when your owner hasn’t told you the full story.”
Elena stiffened. “Damon doesn’t own me.”
Victoria laughed—a sharp, bitter sound. “That’s what I used to tell myself, too.”
Elena’s pulse quickened.
Victoria took a step closer. “You think you’re different, don’t you? That you can handle him?”
“I don’t need your warnings,” Elena said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Victoria’s smile faded. “Then I’ll leave you with just one piece of advice, darling.”
She leaned in, her voice a whisper.
“Run before he makes sure you can’t.”
Then, just like that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Elena standing there, shaken.
She wrapped her arms around herself as a chill ran down her spine.
For the first time since making this deal, doubt slithered into her mind.
Had she really made a deal she couldn’t escape?
And worse—was Victoria right?
Had Damon Blackwell already started making sure she couldn’t run?
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- Writer
