Chapter 36 Chapter 36
Chapter 36 Chapter 36
~ Elena’s POV
I sat frozen on the edge of the bed, the phone pressed against my ear, my entire world collapsing second by second.
Mom’s sobs tore through the speaker, broken and uncontrollable. “Elena…Elena…he’s gone…your father…he’s gone—“
Her cries echoed so violently that for a moment, my brain couldn’t process the words. Gone? Dad? My breath hitched, and my mind went blank. Everything inside me just…stopped. Then, the man slammed into me, crushing the air from my lungs. My dad. My father. He’s dead…..?
“Please…..please…come—come home….“
“How? Mom…Mom, I’m coming. I’m coming right now…..just hold on, please—“ I didn’t even wait for her to reply. I hung up and shoved myself out of bed, hands trembling as I threw on the first clothes I touched. My vision blurred with tears, my chest tightening with every breath.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Damian walked into the room. His eyes landed on me…on my face, on the panic I wasn’t hiding….and instantly softened.
“Do you want me to take you?“ he asked quietly. Strangely, it didn’t shock me that he already knew. He was Damian Moretii….of course, he knew.
I nodded, unable to speak, unable to stop thinking. He walked to me, wrapped a steadying hand around my mind, and led me out without another word.
When we reached my house, police cars lined the street, blue and red lights flashing against the walls like a silent warning. My knees nearly buckled. Damian squeezed my hand once, the only reassurance he ever offered in public before I tore myself away and ran inside. My mother was in the living room, surrounded by neighbors and officers, her screams of grief echoing through the house I once considered safe.
“Mom!“ I dropped to my knees beside her, pulling her into my arms as her body shook violently. “I’m here…..I’m here, Mom….“
She clung to me desperately, sobbing into my shoulder, repeating Dad’s name over and over until her voice cracked. The officers watched quietly, almost respectfully. When their eyes fell on Damian, they approached him, murmuring something low and firm, then they moved to the hallway to talk.
I held Mom until her sobs turned weak, then helped her to her room and laid her on the bed. “He took care of everything,“ she whispered, voice shaking. “The house, the bills….me….How will I live without him? How?“
Her words broke something inside me. I stroked her hair, fighting the burn in my throat, whispering soothing lies—-”That we’ll be okay,” “That I’m here,“ “That she isn’t alone.“
When she finally sank into exhausted sleep, I slipped out of the room quietly. Downstairs, Damian sat on the couch, phone pressed to his ear, his expression dark and sharp. But the moment he saw me, he ended the call and pulled me down beside him. “What happened?“ I asked, voice barely holding steady. “How did he die? Mom…..she couldn’t even speak.“
Damian exhaled slowly. “The police found his car off the road. It was an accident. They recovered him and took his body to the hospital so they could prepare him for the funeral.“
Tomorrow. My father’s funeral. The thought shattered every last wall I had left. I broke right there, in Damian’s arms. My cries were loud, ugly, and desperate…..nothing like the sobs I usually tried to hide from him.
He didn’t say anything or try to hush me. He just held me tight and warm, unmoving, letting me cry into his chest until my throat burned and my body felt empty. His hand stayed on the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair. His heartbeat was steady and solid. And I felt safe there.
~ The Next Day
The next day passed in a blur. Mom cried through the entire funeral, her sobs never once fading. Family whispered condolences, but I couldn’t hear. I stood beside her silently, staring at the coffin being lowered into the ground, my mind replaying one question over and over: How did he get into an accident?
He was the most careful, disciplined driver I knew. Something didn’t make sense. Then…..A figure…Far from the crowd…..Dressed head to toe in funeral clothes—black.
I didn’t need to see her face. I knew it was Isabella. My heart slammed against my ribs, and my vision blurred with rage. Before Damian could stop me, I ran….fast, reckless, unthinking. When she saw me, she slipped into a car and drove off. I sprinted to Damian’s car and almost sobbed in relief when the keys were already inside. The moment the engine roared to life, I peeled out of the cemetery.
“Elena! Stop!“ Damian’s voice boomed behind me…but I didn’t stop…couldn’t. I needed answers. I needed the truth. I chased her down the street, my foot smashing the accelerator, ignoring every warning, every instinct for self-safety. Finally, I cut her off, swerving into her path and stopping inches from her bumper.
I jumped out, fury burning my skin, and ripped her door open. I grabbed her coat and yanked her out of the car. She stumbled to the ground, her glasses skipping across the ground.
And then….I froze.
Tears stained her face. Not anger or regret. But real tears with real grief.
“Elena!“ Damian rushed to me, grabbing my arm and pulling me back with a force that made my teeth clench. “Never do that again,“ he snapped….fear, anger, and something else mixing in his voice. I shook free from him and reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. Because I knew. He never went anywhere without it.
My fingers closed around the cold metal. I pulled out his gun and aimed it at Isabella, hands shaking with rage and heartbreak. “Tell me,“ I hissed. “Tell me why you did it.“
She lifted her head….eyes red, breathing uneven….and the look she gave me was nothing I had expected. There was fear.
“You and I, we both know that he was never a reckless driver. WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?“ In anger, I shot beside her, making her flinch, and tears streamed down her face once again, mimicking me. My tears were running down my face as well, but they were a mix of rage and despair.