Sera Monroe froze, like she'd just woken up from a nightmare.

"Hel—"

Before she could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Shh, don't be scared. It's me."

That voice—warm, familiar.

Her heart skipped a beat. Julian?

She finally calmed down. The hand let go, and when she turned around, there he was—Julian Blake, looking just the way she remembered.

Turns out, someone had tipped him off when Sera ran out of the hospital. He'd chased her down right away.

"What were you doing just now?" Julian asked, brows furrowed tight, worry flickering in his eyes.

Sera didn't even notice. She just stood there, dazed, her voice barely a whisper,

"I… I need to see him."

"See who?" Julian's eyes flicked with something unreadable.

But Sera didn't answer. She turned and tried to walk away.

"Wait," Julian grabbed her hand gently. "Tell me who you're going to see. Where are they? I'll take you."

His voice turned soft, almost coaxing, like he was afraid she might break if he said the wrong thing.

Her eyes lit up. "You'll really take me to him?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I will."

"Okay! Let's go now!"

She tugged on his sleeve, about to drag him away—but then stopped, looking lost all over again.

"Where am I going? I… I don't know where he is… Right, home. I have to go home… I need to go back to The Monroe Estate."

"Alright," Julian said calmly, "We'll go to The Monroe Estate. Just tell me where it is."

This time, she didn't hesitate. She rattled off the address quickly.

Julian's expression shifted slightly.

That address... he knew it. It was in one of the most elite neighborhoods in Aurelia.

'Who the hell is Sera Monroe, really?'

But he didn't ask. He just drove her there.

The second the car stopped, Sera flung open the door and bolted.

"Sera!" Julian called out, startled, parking quickly before chasing after her.

But she was fast. Before he could even catch up, she'd already disappeared through the gates.

There it was—"The Monroe Estate," etched in gold above the iron gates.

Julian finally exhaled.

*****

Inside the estate...

Giles Hawthorne was stunned when he saw Sera—still in her hospital gown, messy and pale.

"Ma'am, what happened to you?"

But Sera didn't answer. She grabbed his sleeve, panic in her voice.

"Is Elliot Monroe home? Has he come back?"

"N-no, ma'am. He hasn't returned yet. Are you alright?"

"Not back… ha… not back…"

She let out a hollow, bitter laugh, then let go of his sleeve and drifted upstairs like a ghost.

Giles watched her, worry flooding his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he picked up the phone and made a call…

*****

Upstairs, in her bathroom...

Sera slumped into the bathtub.

Her body was covered in bruises—purple and green marks that made her stomach churn. She scrubbed herself raw, as if she could erase what had happened, as if she could wash it all away.

Even when her skin tore open and bled, she didn't stop. She just kept scrubbing, over and over, like some kind of punishment.

Only when fresh wounds covered the old ones did she finally drag herself out of the tub, stumble to bed, and collapse.

Her back had torn open again—blood soaking through the sheets, drop by drop.

She didn't move. Just laid there, like she couldn't even feel it.

*****

"What, trying a new trick now? Playing the tragic victim?"

That ice-cold voice yanked her back to reality.

She turned her head slowly—and there he was.

Elliot Monroe, standing at the foot of the bed, his face twisted in mockery.

"Where were you last night?"

Her fists clenched. Her voice trembled.

She still wanted to believe—some tiny part of her still hoped that the man from Hotel Lumière last night had been him.

But Elliot just looked at her coldly and said,

"You crossed the line, Sera."

'Crossed the line?'

She let out a bitter, broken laugh.

She was his wife—wasn't she allowed to ask where the hell her husband had gone?

Of course not. He'd never really treated her like a wife.

Elliot's eyes darkened as he looked at her—beaten down and bleeding—his jaw tightened. He stepped forward and scooped her up without a word.

Did she even realize how hurt she was? She still didn't know how to take care of herself…

He was about to lecture her when she suddenly whispered,

"Liora Bennett's back… did you know?"

Elliot froze. His face turned icy cold.

"You had someone follow me?"

And just like that, the tiny hope in Sera's heart shattered.

He knew.

He knew Liora Bennett was back.

That photo… it was real.

Last night, he'd gone to see her.

"Why?" she cried. "Why did you go to her last night? Why did you leave me alone in that hotel like I was nothing?"

All the pain, the heartbreak, the humiliation—it all turned into rage.

If it hadn't been for him, none of this would've happened to her!

But Elliot just looked annoyed, like she was the one causing trouble.

"You don't get to question me. Don't forget your place. You—"

But Sera cut him off for the first time ever, voice rising with fury.

"Yeah, I forgot. My bad."

"I'm just a damn stray your precious Monroe family took in like a charity case."

"I was stupid. I wanted something that was never mine to begin with. And now I'm paying the price for being greedy."

She looked up at him, her eyes clearer than ever.

"Elliot Monroe…"

"You'll never understand what I lost because of you."

Something in Elliot's chest twisted.

"You—"

He didn't know what to say.

But then she spoke again, quietly, like it was final.

"Let's get a divorce."