The rain hadn’t stopped since dawn. It beat against the windows like a persistent whisper—steady, cold, and merciless. Elena sat curled up on the couch, Damian’s scent still clinging to the silk scarf she gripped in her hands. Every memory of him now felt like a wound she couldn’t close.
She hadn’t expected Lucas to show up. Yet when the knock came, quiet but firm, her heart jumped. For a moment, she imagined it might be Damian, coming back with some new apology or excuse. But when she opened the door, Lucas stood there, drenched and disheveled, eyes shadowed with concern.
“Elena,” he said softly. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight.”
His voice carried the kind of warmth that didn’t demand, only offered. He stepped inside without waiting for permission, shaking off the rain. The moment he l
