ELENA

I stepped out of the room, my heart still unsteady from the storm of emotions that had just passed through me. The image of Dominic—vulnerable, if only for a second—lingered in my mind, refusing to fade no matter how much I tried to push it away. It was unsettling.

Sleep felt impossible now, my thoughts tangled in knots I had no patience to undo. Maybe a walk would help. Maybe if I tired myself out, if I let myself be distracted by the cold silence of the mansion, my mind would ...