ELENA

I sat alone in the massive living room, staring at nothing despite the fact that my mind was drifting. The mansion was quiet—too quiet. It always was. Silence had become a constant in my life, an unwelcome companion that made everything feel heavier.

Then, out of nowhere, footsteps. Steady. Purposeful.

I didn’t have to look up to know it wasn’t Dominic. The air didn’t shift the way it did when he entered a room. No, this was one of his men.

“Elena.”

I glanced up, already ...