Elena’s POV

I didn’t stop running until the school gate disappeared behind me. My lungs burned and my legs trembled, but the idea of staying anywhere near campus made my stomach twist. I needed distance. I needed quiet. I needed a place where Damien couldn’t appear out of nowhere again.

I booked a hotel near my studio and headed toward the car I had hailed. My hand was already on the door when something pulled at me from inside. A small instinct nudged me to look back.

At the ...