"Stop asking of that first! I'm not just offering you a gift, Elena," Serena said softly, her voice like velvet wrapped around steel.
"I'm offering you a choice. Come with me. Leave all of this behind. I can give you real freedom. Money, protection, a new identity — whatever you need. I'll destroy Alessandro's hold on you, I can even destroy his empire. I'll make sure he can never touch you again. You don't have to live as his prisoner anymore. That's just how powerful I am. You'll be free!"
Elena's heart slammed against her ribs. The words sounded like everything she had secretly prayed for during her darkest moments — the chance to go home, to feel safe, to escape this terrifying world she had been dragged into.
But the offer also terrified her.
"How… how do you know all of this?" Elena whispered, her voice shaking. "How did you know I'm not really his girlfriend? That I'm… his captive? Answer me please!"
