Elena's POV
I had never felt so trapped in my life.
Adrian had left me alone for hours after his cruel revelation, as if he knew I needed time to fully absorb the weight of his control. He had watched me shatter, watched as the last thread of defiance inside me frayed beyond repair, and then he had walked away like none of it mattered. Like I didn’t matter.
I sat curled up in the farthest corner of the room, knees drawn to my chest, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as if that could hold me together. The weight of Adrian’s words kept replaying in my mind, over and over, refusing to give me a moment of peace.
It’s mine. I own this bar.
The humiliation was unbearable. I had thought I was reclaiming a part of myself by working there, proving I didn’t need him or his money. But in th
