Chapter 18

Elena's POV

Morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the unfamiliar room in golden light. The sheets beneath me were impossibly soft, made me reluctant to move.

Then the memories of last night came flooding back.

The lake house. The swimming pool. Dominic's hands gripping my hips hard enough to bruise as he thrust into me again and again. , moving from the pool to the shower to finally this bed, where Dominic had taken me with an intensity that bordered on savagery.

I shifted slightly, my body aching in places I hadn't known could ache. He'd been insatiable, driving me to orgasm after orgasm until I could barely remember my own name.

I squeezed my thighs together, embarrassed by my body's response to the memories. I want him to do it again. The admission, even silently to myself, was humiliating. What was happening to me?

The empty space beside me finally registered, and I ran my hand over the cool sheets. Dominic was gone. How long had I been asleep?

"Dominic?" I called out, wincing slightly as I sat up.

No answer. The vast bedroom was empty, the connecting bathroom door standing open to reveal it was unoccupied as well.

My gaze caught on something on the bedside table. A stack of crisp hundred-dollar bills, neatly bound with a silver money clip. Beside it, a handwritten note on heavy cream-colored stationery:

For clothes and essentials. Felix will drive you back when you're ready.

The warmth I'd been feeling vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Money left on the nightstand. Like I was some high-class prostitute he'd enjoyed for the night and was now paying for services rendered.

I snatched up the stack, anger building as I thumbed through it. Five thousand dollars. For a night of sex. That's what this was to him—a transaction. Nothing more.

What had I expected? That was our arrangement, wasn't it? I'd signed the contract, agreed to be his on-call companion for six months in exchange for financial security. This shouldn't be a surprise.

But somehow, it still hurt.

I reached for the phone he'd given me, intending to text him—to say what, I wasn't sure. Ask why he'd left? Demand to know if last night had meant anything to him? The screen lit up, showing three missed calls and a text:

Meeting ran long. Stay at the lake house as long as you like. I'll see you tomorrow night. Dinner at 8.

So impersonal. So commanding. Assuming I'd just be available whenever he wanted me. Anger flared hotter, and before I could think better of it, I powered off the phone and tossed it back onto the nightstand. Contract or not, I wasn't a toy to be played with on his schedule. I was a person, and I deserved to be treated with some basic respect.

I repacked my small overnight bag and made my way through the silent house.

Felix waiting on the front porch, reading something on his phone. He looked up as the door closed behind me.

"Good morning, Ms. Blackwood," he said, his expression neutral. "Ready to head back?"

"Yes," I replied, clutching my bag a little tighter. "To the university, please."

The drive back to campus was quiet, Felix making no attempt at conversation beyond asking if the temperature in the car was comfortable.

By the time we reached Shadow Peak Academy, I'd resolved to put some emotional distance between myself and Dominic Lucchesi. I needed to remember that this was a business arrangement, nothing more. Getting emotionally involved would only lead to heartbreak.

"Thank you for the ride," I said to Felix as the car rolled to a stop in front of my dormitory.

He nodded once, professionally detached.

The campus was quiet, most students either in class or enjoying their weekend elsewhere. I made my way up to my room, relieved at the thought of having some time alone to sort through my jumbled emotions.

"Elena, wait up!"

I turned to see Zoe jogging toward me, her face brightening. "Where have you been? I've been trying to call you all day."

"Sorry," I said, forcing a smile. "My phone was off. How's my dad doing?"

"Better, actually," she said, falling into step beside me. "Maya and I visited him this morning. The nurses say he's showing real signs of improvement."

Relief washed through me. At least something was going right. "Thanks for checking on him. I owe you both."

"That's what friends are for," she replied, then lowered her voice. "By the way, good news—Olivia moved most of her stuff out yesterday. She's officially moved in with Ethan, so you've got the room to yourself now."

That was unexpected good news. "Thank god. One less thing to deal with."

"Though... she was hanging around the dorm earlier," Zoe added, frowning slightly. "Said she needed to talk to you about something important."

Sure enough, when I reached my floor, Olivia was leaning against the wall outside my door, scrolling through her phone. She looked up as I approached, a slow, calculated smile spreading across her face.

"There you are," she said, pushing off the wall. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "What do you want, Olivia?"

"Can't a girl visit her old roommate?" she asked with mock innocence.

"Cut the crap," I said, too tired for her games. "What do you want?"

Her smile hardened. "Fine. Let's skip the pleasantries." She glanced pointedly at my overnight bag. "Had a fun sleepover with your new sugar daddy?"

I pushed past her to unlock my door. "None of your business."

"What I can't figure out," she continued, examining her perfectly manicured nails, "is why someone like him would be interested in someone like you. Unless, of course, he's just paying for your... services."

The crude implication hung in the air between us. I should have ignored her, should have simply asked her to leave. But my emotions were too raw, my nerves too frayed from the rollercoaster of the past twenty-four hours.

"Dominic is not my boyfriend," I said flatly. "So you can stop pretending to be interested in my relationship."

Olivia's eyes gleamed with triumph. "I knew it! It's just a business arrangement, isn't it? He's your sugar daddy." She laughed, the sound grating on my already frayed nerves. "How much is he paying you, Elena? Must be a lot to make little miss prude spread her legs."

"Get out," I said, my voice deadly quiet.

"Well, if he's not your boyfriend," she continued as if I hadn't spoken, "then I guess you wouldn't mind if I went after him myself. After all, why should he settle for the discount version when he could have the real thing?"

Something snapped inside me. "Stay away from him, Olivia."

She stepped closer, her smile turning predatory. "Why? Are you afraid he'll prefer me once he gets a taste? That's what happened with Ethan, after all."

"Ethan was a mistake," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. "One I'm glad I discovered before wasting any more time on him."

"That's not how I remember it," Olivia taunted. "You were pathetic, standing there watching us, tears in your eyes. So broken. So hurt."

"Get out," I repeated, my hands balling into fists at my sides.

"I took one man from you," she said, ignoring my warning. "A man who should have been crazy about you. I took him, and I can certainly take this one too. It's just a matter of time."