Chapter 5
Elena's POV
I forced myself to breathe evenly as I stood in Damon's penthouse, his hand still gripping mine.
His touch burned, a brand I thought I'd erased from my skin two years ago.
"One year," I repeated, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.
His eyes darkened with satisfaction, like a predator who'd just cornered his prey. "One year," he echoed. "But you don't get to run this time, Elena. No disappearing acts. No vanishing into thin air like before."
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. "I need time."
Damon's gaze sharpened. "Time for what?"
"To get my affairs in order." I forced my voice to remain steady, calm. "You want me to come back to you, to walk into your world again? Fine. But I won't do it half prepared. I need a week. Seven days, Damon. After that, I'll return to you and when I do, we'll begin this arrangement."
He studied me for a long moment, his jaw tight, his sharp mind clearly turning over every possible scenario. Finally, he gave a short nod.
"Seven days," he agreed, his tone clipped. "Not a minute more and don't think of running, Elena." His eyes were like obsidian, cold and unyielding. "I will find you."
A shiver ran down my spine, but I managed to keep my face impassive. "You won't have to."
I turned to leave before he could see the truth in my eyes. Because if he even suspected what I was hiding, the fragile control I had over this situation would shatter.
The moment I stepped outside, the cool evening air hit me like a splash of water, clearing my head. I had seven days to protect my greatest secret. My son.
My beautiful, perfect little boy with Damon's dark eyes and stubborn chin.
I hadn't planned on keeping him from his father forever. In those first raw, painful weeks after I left Damon, I'd clung to the idea of someday telling him. But as time passed, the risk became too great.
Damon Blackwood wasn't just a man, he was a force of nature, a storm that consumed everything in its path. If he ever discovered he had a child, he'd take him. Not out of love but out of control and I couldn't let that happen.
________________________________________
When i arrived at Claire's apartment, I was out of the car before it had fully stopped. Claire had been my rock these past two years, offering me shelter when I had nothing, helping me hide when the world felt like it was closing in.
She opened the door before I could knock, her expression softening the moment she saw me. "Elena," she said, pulling me into a tight hug. "You look like hell."
I gave a humorless laugh. "I feel like it too."
Her gaze swept over my face, taking in the tension, the exhaustion. "It's Damon, isn't it?"
I didn't answer. I didn't have to.
Claire sighed, ushering me inside. The familiar scent of baby powder and fresh laundry wrapped around me like a blanket.
"Mommy!" The tiny voice was like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
My heart cracked open as my son toddled toward me, his chubby arms outstretched.
I scooped him up, burying my face in his soft, dark curls.
"Oh, my sweet boy," I whispered, kissing his forehead over and over. "I missed you so much."
He giggled, patting my cheeks with his small hands. "Missed you, Mommy!"
Tears stung my eyes. "I love you more than anything, you know that? More than the whole wide world."
His big brown eyes that looked just as Damon's blinked up at me. "Love you too!"
I held him close, breathing him in, memorizing the weight of him in my arms. Every second with him felt both precious and fragile, a reminder of what I stood to lose if I made even one mistake.
"Where did you go, Mommy?" he asked innocently.
My throat tightened. "Mommy had to take care of some things, sweetheart. But I'm here now."
Later, after I'd tucked him into bed and kissed him goodnight, Claire and I sat in the small kitchen, the hum of the refrigerator filling the silence between us.
"You're leaving again," Claire said quietly, not a question.
I nodded, staring down at my hands. "Damon found me."
Her sharp inhale cut through the air. "Elena…"
"I don't have a choice," I interrupted, my voice breaking. "He threatened to expose my family's past. If he does, everything I've built will crumble. My father's deeds, my brother's mistakes it'll all be dragged into the light and he'll take my son."
Claire reached across the table, gripping my hand. "Then don't go back."
"You don't understand." My eyes filled with tears. "If I run now, he'll never stop hunting me. At least this way, I can control the narrative. I can protect my son."
Claire's lips pressed into a thin line. "And what about you?"
I laughed bitterly. "Me? I stopped mattering the moment I became a mother."
We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of my decision settling over us like a shroud.
Finally, I squared my shoulders. "I need you to keep him safe, Claire. No one, not Damon not anyone can know he exists."
"You have my word," she said fiercely.
"He's like my own."
Relief flooded me, but it was fleeting. "Thank you."
_________________________________________
Seven days passed in a blur of stolen moments with my son, each one more precious than the last. And then, too soon, it was time to face Damon again.
The next morning, I spent hours with my son, soaking in every moment. We played with his favorite wooden train set, his laughter echoing through the apartment like music.
As I packed my bag, he followed me around, clutching his stuffed bear.
"Where you going, Mommy?"
My heart twisted. "Mommy has to go on a little trip," I said softly, kneeling to meet his gaze. "But I'll be back before you know it."
His lower lip trembled. "Don't wanna say bye."
I hugged him tightly, breathing him in one last time. "I don't want to either, baby. But I promise, Claire will take care of you. And Mommy will come home."
"Promise?" he asked, his voice wobbly.
"Promise."
I kissed his forehead, then forced myself to stand and walk away without looking back.
If I did, I'd never leave.
When I returned to Damon's penthouse later that day, my mask was firmly in place. He stood waiting for me, sharp and devastatingly handsome in a dark suit, his expression unreadable.
"You came back," he said, like he'd half-expected me to vanish.
"I told you I would," I replied coolly, though inside I was shaking.
He stepped closer, his gaze sweeping over me. "Are you ready, Elena?"
I met his eyes, my resolve hardening.
"Yes."
Ready to play the perfect wife, Ready to dismantle his empire piece by piece, Ready to make Damon Blackwood pay for every tear I'd ever shed.
Most of all, I was ready to protect my son no matter the cost.