Chapter 62

Elena’s POV Coming back to Eric’s villa felt like coming home or at least, I thought it would. I expected to finally breathe again. To rest. To have a little peace while Eric decided what to do about my career and the mess at work. I thought, at least here, I’ll be safe. I was wrong. The villa felt different the moment I stepped inside. Cold. Tense. Like something had shifted while I was away. The first thing I noticed was that James was gone. In his place stood a woman I’d never seen before. Mrs. Hill. She was older, stiff, and always wore a tight frown, like the world personally offended her. Her eyes followed me everywhere, sharp and judging. I knew instantly, I wasn’t welcome. Once we settled back in, Eric became busier than ever. He barely stayed home. Most days, he left before sunrise and returned late at night, buried in calls and meetings, trying to fix the damage and restore T.E.’s lost glory. I barely saw him. And Mrs. Hill made sure I felt that absence. She wouldn’t let me i