Elena’s POV
The smell of stale beer and sweat clung to the air, thick and suffocating. The blaring music pounded in my skull, a relentless rhythm that made my already throbbing headache worse. My fingers curled tightly around the tray in my hands, my knuckles turning white as I wove through the crowded bar, dodging drunken men and clumsy dancers.
I wasn’t used to this. I hated this.
For the past few nights, I had been forcing myself to endure this nightmare. I had no choice. My credit cards were blocked. My bank accounts were frozen. I had nothing.
Adrian had taken away every luxury I had ever known, and my father… well, I refused to go crawling back to him after everything.
So, I had done the unthinkable—I had gotten a job.
Not at an office. Not at a boutique.
A bar.
And every sec
