Chapter 102
Elara’s POV
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Elara got dressed in world record time, pulling on jeans and a hoodie without even thinking about matching. She grabbed her phone and keys, shoved her feet into sneakers, and was downstairs before Mimi had even finished tying her shoes.
They stepped outside into the cool afternoon air, and Mimi led the way to her car parked in the visitor’s section of the garage. She’d driven here this morning in her little Honda Civic, nothing fancy but reliable. They climbed in quickly, Mimi starting the engine before Elara had even fully closed her door.
“Let’s go,” Elara said, her leg already bouncing with nervous energy.
Mimi pulled out of the garage and onto the street, heading toward the part of the city Elara used to call home. The part she’d worked so hard to escape from.
But about ten minutes into the drive, they hit traffic. Not just regular slow-moving traffic, but the kind of gridlock that made you want to scream. The entire lane wasn’t moving at all. Cars were packed bumper to bumper as far as Elara could see, everyone sitting there with engines idling, going absolutely nowhere.
“Come on,” Elara muttered, leaning forward in her seat like that would somehow make the cars ahead of them move faster. “Come on, come on.”
Mimi drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, equally frustrated. “There must be an accident or construction or something up ahead.”
“We don’t have time for this.” Elara pulled out her phone and checked the map. The estimated time of arrival kept climbing. Twenty minutes. Twenty-five minutes. Thirty minutes.
Every second they sat here was another second Luca potentially had to search that apartment. Another second Penelope had to find something incriminating. Another second closer to everything falling apart.
Elara’s leg wouldn’t stop bouncing. Her hands kept clenching and unclenching in her lap. She felt like she might crawl out of her own skin if this traffic didn’t clear soon.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was probably only fifteen minutes, the cars ahead started moving. Slowly at first, then picking up speed as whatever bottleneck had been causing the backup
cleared.
Mimi accelerated, weaving through traffic with more aggression than Elara had ever seen from her normally cautious friend. They flew through yellow lights and took turns a little too fast, both of them too focused on getting there to care about traffic laws.
When they finally pulled onto Elara’s old street, the familiar rundown buildings coming into view, Elara felt her stomach twist into knots. She hadn’t been back here since before the wedding. Hadn’t wanted to come back, honestly. This place represented everything she’d been trying to leave behind.
Mimi found a parking spot and killed the engine. Elara was already unbuckling her seatbelt and opening her door before the car had fully stopped.
They climbed out and started walking quickly toward the building. Elara’s old apartment was on the second floor, accessible by an exterior staircase that was just as crumbling and dangerous as she
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Chapter 102
remembered.
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They were halfway up the first flight when Elara spotted her. Mrs. Mercy, the building owner and landlord. An older Chinese woman who’d lived in the neighborhood for forty years and knew everyone’s business.
“Hi, good day, ma’am,” Elara said, trying to sound casual even though her heart was racing.
Mrs. Mercy’s face lit up with recognition. “Elara! It’s been a while! How have you been? It’s been so long since I saw you. I only see Luca around the building these days. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay, ma’am,” Elara said, forcing a fake smile onto her face. “Just fine.”
They kept climbing, trying to move past the conversation, but Mrs. Mercy’s voice called out again from below.
“Are you coming to see Luca? Because he just left actually. Maybe twenty minutes ago. He was with a very pretty, sophisticated-looking woman and some security guys in suits. You just missed him.”
Elara’s heart started pumping blood at what felt like five times its normal speed. The words hit her like a physical blow.
Twenty minutes ago. With a sophisticated woman and security.
Penelope. It had to be Penelope.
Which meant they’d already been here. Already searched the apartment.
Already found whatever there was to find.
“Fuck.” Elara breathed.
They abandoned all pretense of walking normally and started running up the remaining stairs, taking them two at a time. Elara’s sneakers pounded against the concrete, her breath coming in sharp gasps.
Mrs. Mercy called from behind them, her voice tinged with concern. “Are you okay? Elara, what’s wrong?”
But they ignored her, focused entirely on getting to that apartment and finding out if their worst fears had
come true.
Elara reached the door first, her hands shaking as she pulled out her key. She shoved it into the lock, turned it, and pushed the door open.
The sight that greeted them stopped both women in their tracks.
The apartment was destroyed.
Elara didn’t remember leaving this place like this. She’d always been meticulous about keeping it clean, even when they had nothing. Even when the building was falling apart around them, her little space had been organized and tidy.
But now? Now it looked like a tornado had torn through it.
Clothes were strewn everywhere, covering every surface. The couch was buried under layers of dirty laundry. The kitchen counter was invisible beneath piles of dishes and takeout containers. Drawers hung
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Chapter 102
open, their contents spilled onto the floor. Papers were scattered across every available surface.
“What the actual fuck,” Mimi spat, her eyes wide as she took in the chaos.
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This was Luca’s doing. All of it. Three months of him living here like an animal, destroying everything Elara had tried to maintain,
But they didn’t have time to process the mess. Elara’s brain was laser-focused on one thing only.
“The drawer,” she said, already moving. “I left it in my room drawer. Let’s go check.”
They rushed through the disaster zone of the living room, stepping over piles of clothes and trash, and into Elara’s old bedroom. This room was slightly better, but still showed signs of having been searched. The bed was unmade, things were out of place.
Elara went straight to her vanity, her hands reaching for the left drawer. The one where she’d stashed the photocopied contract all those months ago, back when she’d thought she was being smart and protecting
herself.
She pulled it open.
Empty.
The drawer was completely empty except for a thin layer of dust. But even in the dust, she could see it, The rectangular outline where the papers had been sitting for months. The shape of the file still visible, like a ghost of what used to be there.
But the papers themselves were gone.
Elara placed both hands on her head, her fingers digging into her scalp. Her breathing was coming faster now, panic setting in for real.
“Shit,” she whispered. “I’m dead.”
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