Elena is unraveling—quietly, carefully, but undeniably. The chapter opens with her trying to maintain the illusion of control, but her thoughts betray her. Nicolas Russo is in her head, and worse, under her skin. She's haunted by the way he looks at her—not with affection, but with something sharper, darker. It's not love. It's not even lust. It's possession. And it terrifies her.
At a family dinner, the tension between them becomes almost unbearable. Nicolas doesn't speak much, but when he does, his words are laced with double meanings that only Elena seems to catch. He's cold, unreadable, but there's a flicker of something in his gaze—something that makes her pulse race and her stomach twist.
Elena's internal monologue is a storm of confusion. She knows she should hate him. He's arrogant, controlling, and engaged to her sister. But there's a part of her—buried deep and growing louder—that wants to understand him. That wants to be seen by him. And Nicolas? He sees everything.
We also get a glimpse of Elena's isolation. Her family treats her like a porcelain doll—beautiful, breakable, and meant to be displayed, not heard. Her sister is oblivious to the tension between Elena and Nicolas, and her parents are more concerned with appearances than emotions. Elena is suffocating in a world that demands silence, and Nicolas is the only one who seems to hear her unspoken screams.
By the end of the chapter, Elena realizes something dangerous: she's not just drawn to Nicolas Russo. She's starting to crave the way he makes her feel—alive, defiant, and seen. And in their world, that craving could cost her everything.
Want to keep going with Chapter 6? Or maybe explore how Nicolas's past shapes the way he sees Elena? I've got plenty more secrets to spill. 💣📚