Chapter 207
Elena's POV
"You better," Lila said with all the seriousness a four-year-old could muster, then yawned hugely. "I'm tired, Mommy."
Within minutes, she was asleep in my arms, her head heavy on my shoulder. I shifted carefully, trying not to wake her, and Julian's hand found mine again.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"I haven't forgiven you," I said quietly, but without the sharp edge my words might have carried before. "And I'm not making any promises. But... I'm willing to see if you mean what you say."
"I do." His eyes were fierce despite his exhaustion. "I swear to God, Elena, I'll spend every day proving it."
The next morning, Adrian appeared at the door looking characteristically unruffled despite the early hour. He carried a sleek shopping bag and what looked like a brand-new phone box.
"Ms. Vance," he said with a slight bow. "Mr. Sterling asked me to bring these for you."
I blinked, still groggy from another night of fitful sleep in the hospital chair. "What?"
"He noticed you didn't have your phone," Adrian explained, setting the items on the small table. "And he thought Lila might enjoy these."
I peered into the bag to find an elaborate dollhouse set, complete with tiny furniture and a family of dolls. The kind of toy that cost more than my monthly rent used to.
"Adrian, this is too much—"
"Mr. Sterling was quite insistent." Adrian's expression remained neutral, but I caught the hint of amusement in his eyes. "He said, and I quote, 'Get her the best phone they have and something to keep Lila busy so Elena doesn't have to worry.'"
Despite myself, I felt warmth bloom in my chest. This wasn't the Julian I remembered—the one who'd barely looked up from his laptop when I'd tried to talk to him about my day.
Julian was awake now, propped up slightly in bed and watching us with an expression I couldn't quite read. Vulnerable. Almost... hopeful.
"Thank you," I said to Adrian. "For everything."
He nodded and left, and I turned to find Julian looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"You didn't have to do this," I said, gesturing to the gifts.
"I wanted to." His voice was still rough, but stronger than yesterday. "Come here."
I approached cautiously, stopping just out of reach. "Why?"
"Because I want to thank you properly."
Before I could react, he'd caught my wrist and tugged me closer. His lips brushed against mine—gentle, questioning, nothing like the demanding kisses I remembered from before.
I jerked back, my face flaming. "Julian!"
"What? I'm just saying thank you." His eyes sparkled with mischief despite the pain lines around his mouth. "Is that so wrong?"
"Yes! You can't just—we're not—" I stammered, flustered. My heart was racing, and I hated that some traitorous part of me had missed this—missed him.
"Your expression says otherwise." He was grinning now, and I hated that it made my traitorous heart skip. "You liked it."
"Don't push your luck," I warned, trying to sound stern and failing miserably.
His grin faded into something softer, more vulnerable. Fear flickered in his eyes—real, raw fear. "I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't assume—" His voice cracked slightly. "I know I don't deserve... I know you could leave again, and I—"
"No, you shouldn't." But my voice had lost its edge. "You're supposed to be resting, not... not whatever this is."
"This is me trying to be less of an idiot," he said quietly. "Elena, I can't lose you again. I can't lose her." His eyes drifted to Lila, who was arranging her new dolls with intense concentration. "I've already missed so much. Her first words, her first steps... God, I don't even know what her favorite bedtime story is."
The raw pain in his voice caught me off guard. "Julian..."
"How am I doing?" he asked, attempting a weak smile. "At the not being an idiot thing?"
"Terribly." But I couldn't quite suppress my smile. "You're like a completely different person."
"He realized what an ass he was and decided to try something new." Julian's expression turned serious. "Elena, I meant what I said. I'm going to prove myself to you. Whatever it takes."
Lila looked up from her dollhouse, her dark eyes serious. "Daddy, are you going to make Mommy sad again?"
The question hung in the air like a blade. Julian's face went white, and I saw his hands clench in the hospital sheets.
"No, sweetheart," he whispered. "Daddy's going to try very hard not to make Mommy sad anymore."
---
By noon, Lila was thoroughly engrossed in her new dollhouse, arranging and rearranging the tiny furniture with intense concentration. Julian had fallen back asleep, his pain medication pulling him under, and I'd decided to make a quick run to get us some decent food.
As I gathered my jacket, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I'd noticed it yesterday too—a man in scrubs who seemed to linger near Julian's room longer than necessary, a woman in the elevator who'd gotten off at our floor but never seemed to visit anyone.
"I'll be back in twenty minutes," I told Sophia, who'd returned that morning with coffee and pastries. "Can you watch her?"
"Of course." Sophia squeezed my hand, then lowered her voice. "Elena, I've seen how he looks at you. He's different. Scared, but different."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and slipped out of the hospital.
The fresh air felt good after so many hours in the recycled hospital atmosphere. I was thinking about Julian's kiss—which I absolutely should not have enjoyed—when rough hands grabbed me from behind.
"Don't scream," a low voice growled in my ear.
I tried to twist away, but there were too many of them. Three men, all built like linebackers, surrounding me before I could even think to run. One of them had a van pulled up to the curb, door already open.
Lila. The thought hit me like a physical blow. She was waiting for me to come back. Julian was unconscious, vulnerable.
"Get in," another one ordered.
"No—let me go!" I struggled, but they were too strong. They lifted me bodily and shoved me into the van.
My phone—Julian's gift, still in my jacket pocket. I managed to slip it out as they forced me into a seat, hiding it in the space between the seat cushions. If I couldn't escape, at least there was a chance Julian could track me.
"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. "What do you want?"
Silence. The men didn't even look at me, their expressions blank and professional. This wasn't random—this was planned. Someone had been watching, waiting for the perfect moment.
Fear spiked through me, but I forced it down. I couldn't afford to panic. Not when Lila was waiting for me to come back.
The drive felt endless. We left the city behind, heading into increasingly rural areas. Mountains rose in the distance, and the roads became narrower, more isolated. I tried to memorize landmarks, anything that might help if I got the chance to escape.
Finally, we pulled up to a sprawling estate—all stone and glass, set against the mountainside like something out of a movie. Beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.
They pulled me out of the van, their grips firm but not brutal. I was shaking now, unable to stop it.
Who would do this? Victoria was in custody. Nancy was arrested. Who else wanted to hurt me? And then a terrible thought crept in—what if this wasn't about hurting me at all? What if someone wanted to use me to get to Julian?
They led me through an ornate foyer and into what looked like a study. Leather-bound books lined the walls, and a fire crackled in the massive fireplace despite the mild weather.
And there, sitting in a high-backed chair like some kind of villain from a thriller, was Alexander.
"Alexander?" The word came out strangled. "What—why are you—"
He stood, and I saw something in his expression that made my blood run cold. Not anger. Not even malice.
Obsession.
"Hello, Elena," he said softly, his voice carrying the same gentle tone I remembered from our college days. But his eyes... his eyes were different. Hungry. Desperate. "We need to talk."