The chapter opens with Elena trying to distract herself—from Nicolas, from the weight of her family's expectations, and from the gnawing sense that her life is no longer entirely her own. But distraction is futile when the very man she's trying to forget keeps appearing like a shadow she can't shake.
At a formal family event, Elena and Nicolas are once again in the same room. The atmosphere is thick with unspoken rules and veiled glances. Nicolas doesn't say much, but his presence is a storm cloud—silent, charged, and impossible to ignore. Elena feels it in her bones: the way he watches her, the way he seems to know exactly what she's thinking without her saying a word.
Their interactions are brief but electric. A brush of fingers. A shared look across the room. A comment that sounds innocent but lands like a challenge. Elena is caught between curiosity and fear, and Nicolas? He's unreadable—except for the way his eyes linger just a second too long.
We also get a deeper glimpse into Elena's family dynamics. Her mother's cold perfectionism, her father's quiet control, and her sister's obliviousness to the storm brewing just beneath the surface. Elena is suffocating in a world that demands obedience, but her heart is starting to rebel.
By the end of the chapter, Elena realizes something chilling: Nicolas Russo isn't just dangerous because of who he is. He's dangerous because he sees her—not the Sweet Abelli, but the girl beneath the mask. And that kind of attention? It could unravel everything.
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