Chapter 35 Chapter 35

Chapter 35 Chapter 35
~ Elena’s POV
I stood there, frozen in place, my breathing uneven. Liz sat tied to the chair in front of me, her glare piercing enough to cut skin. Her wrists were starting to bleed through the ropes, and her chest rose and fell with panic she was desperately trying to hide.
Damian stood only a few steps beside me…silent, unreadable, impossibly calm. That was what terrified me the most. If he were this quiet, he already knew what to do with her.
“What do you want to do with her?“ he asked, voice low, deep, and I knew he was only asking for me and had already decided what to do if I refused to answer.
My hands trembled. I cruled them into fists, but that didn’t stop the shaking. Because the moment he asked, my mind threw me back to the staircase.
To the sound of my body hitting each step.
To the pain shooting through my skull.
To the taste of blood in my mouth.
Liz had done that to me. And now she sat there, looking at me as if I had wronged her. A thousand thoughts rushed through my mind: anger, fear, revenge, justice. Every possible punishment flashed before my eyes, each one worse than the last. But none of it felt like me. None of it felt right.
I swallowed and turned to Damian. “If you don’t choose, I will. And you know my way will haunt you.“
My stomach tightened. Because he was right. I had seen what his “ways” looked like. I had heard the screams that stained these walls. And I didn’t want to add another nightmare to the ones already living inside my head. So I turned back to him and whispered the only revenge that didn’t feel like becoming a monster.
“I want her to work,“ I said. “As cleaning staff. For someone rich. Not mafia…just someone wealthy. Someone who will make her feel powerless without hurting her.“
It was humiliating, long-term, and it was a life far beneath what she believed she deserved.
When I looked at Damian, he smirked. A slow, knowing smirk that made my stomach twist. He didn’t say a word, but I saw the truth in his eyes. I was changing. Becoming more like them. And I hated that he seemed proud of it.
As I walked out of the basement, I caught one last look at Liz. The dread that washed over her face told me she understood exactly what her new life would look like. But the victory I expected to feel never came.
The car ride back to the mansion was silent. I stared out the window, replaying Liz’s words. Then Isabella’s words. The warnings. The fear in their voices.
He isn’t who you think he is.
You don’t know who he really is.
I tried to shove them away. To remind myself of every moment Damian had helped me, protected me, loved me in his own strange, dark way. At some point, my eyes drifted shut. I didn’t remember falling asleep.
~ The Next Morning
I woke up the next morning feeling off, my body heavy. I pulled the duvet off and froze.
Blood.
All over the white sheets.
My breath caught in my throat. Panic shot through me as I jumped to my feet, grabbed the duvet, and tossed it aside as if that could erase what happened to the white sheets.
This had never been an issue before. Not in the old house, Damian’s house. The maids had always prepared the bathroom beforehand, leaving everything I might need without me ever having to say a word.
But this room was different. This was a shared space. His space, too.
And there was nothing here. No pads, no tampons, not even spare underwear. I had to walk out there. Face him. Touch the stained sheets.
Before I could figure out what to do, Damian walked in. He stopped. His eyes moved from the bed to me…disheveled, panicked, and humiliated. I fled to the bathroom without saying a word and slammed the door shut, not able to face him. My heart pounded against my ribs. I leaned against the sink, hands shaking. I was so glad he didn’t even try to come in.
“Elena,“ his voice came through the door, softer than usual. “Don’t panic. I’ll be back in a minute.“
I closed my eyes, mortified. I knew exactly where he was going. Exactly what he was getting. I wanted the floor to swallow me right then and there. Seconds later, the door opened.
“Damian—Get out!!“ I yelped, turning away quickly.
He didn’t listen and pressed a bag into my hands, completely unfazed. Then he walked past me, to the bathtub, and sat on the edge…his back facing me.
“I’ll draw you a bath,“ he said quietly. “You can clean up. Take your time.“
Something inside my chest softened…he wasn’t embarrassed, disgusted, or awkward. He was just…there for me. And that almost made me cry.
After the bath, dressed in clean clothes, I stepped out…only for a sharp cramp to punch through my stomach. I gasped and fell to my knees, clutching my abdomen.
“Elena!“
He was off the bed in a second, arms around me, lifting me effortlessly. He laid me down gently…and that’s when I noticed the sheets. Fresh, clean, and white again. He had already changed them.
Before I could say anything, dizziness took over me. The last thing I felt was Damian’s warm hands rubbing oul onto my stomach in slow, soothing circles. I was drowsy, so I closed my eyes, and the last thing I heard was his voice, calmly telling me to rest.
~ The Next Day
When I woke up, the room was filled with the glow of the sunrise. The morning light told me I had slept through the entire day and night. The other side of the bed was empty. Damian wasn’t in the room either.
I sat up and picked up my phone from the nightstand to check the time, and that’s when confusion filled my brain.
15 missed calls.
All from Mom.
My heart dropped into my stomach.
I called her immediately. She picked up on the first ring…and the sound of her voice made my entire world stop.