A Past That Refused to Die
When Elena was nineteen, she was brilliant, reckless, and deeply in love with Jonah Hale.
Jonah was everything Greyhaven admired—kind, calm, and loyal to a fault. He worked at the local shipyard, dreaming of building boats instead of repairing broken ones. He loved Elena with a patience that felt endless.
But Elena wanted more than Greyhaven.
More than quiet mornings and predictable futures.
She wanted fire.
When Daniel Cross arrived—a visiting photographer with city confidence and dangerous charm—Elena's world shifted. Daniel spoke of galleries, fame, and escape. He looked at Elena like she was already extraordinary.
She cheated on Jonah.
Not once. Not accidentally. But deliberately—because it made her feel alive.
When Jonah found out, he didn't scream. He didn't fight. He simply walked away.
Two weeks later, Jonah drowned during a storm.
They said it was an accident.
Elena never believed it.