ELENA POV
Morning came too quickly.
I woke up in Adrien's arms, our bodies tangled together, and for just a moment, everything was perfect.
Then I heard a car.
Adrien heard it too. We both went still.
"He's early," Adrien said quietly.
We got up, dressed quickly. My hands were shaking as I pulled on my clothes. By the time we made it to the living room, we could hear the car door slamming.
Footsteps on the porch.
The door opened.
Damien stood there, looking exhausted, days of traveling, stress, and danger etched into his face. Dark circles under his eyes. Unshaven. He had a messenger bag over his shoulder, presumably carrying the evidence.
His eyes found mine immediately.
And then they shifted to Adrien, standing close to me.
I watched it happen. The way his expression changed. The exact moment he knew.
His jaw tightened. His eyes went cold.
"Damien," I started. "You're back early."
