Elena's POV

“Damien.”

My voice was soft and steady, yet the moment the word left my lips, the atmosphere shifted so subtly that it felt as though the air itself had grown heavier.

Damien’s gaze settled on me at once, cold and oppressive, carrying a weight that made it difficult to breathe, and although I kept my expression composed, I lowered my eyes instinctively, unwilling to meet that piercing look for more than a second. In that fleeting moment of avoidance, my attention drifted ...