ched up with worry, eyes darting around like they were waiting for the ceiling to fall in. Meanwhile, Elena just sat there, stiff as a board, clutc

y the clock on the wall dared to make a peep

voice all gentle and shaky, like she was expec

he was basically drowning in anxiety. "Surgery went okay. H

but honestly, they still looked like they'd been hit by a truck full of

pulling out this land certificate. Just touching the pa

the land," she said, voice barely a

f those silent conversations that says

That land's huge. It's worth a lot.

this new business too," her aunt tossed in, eyes glued to the certificat

ur whole chest. Honestly, she got it. Her aunt and uncle wer

mbled, voice scratchy, lik

y managed it. "It's alrigh

soft but stubborn. "Hey, what if you come with me? I might know

couldn't hand her the solution, but at leas

longed on one of those glossy magazine covers. All big angles and massive win

red, taking in the stone, the wood, those balconies you cou

ushered them through to a living roo

king like she owned the floor, smile just barely there. Yeah,

inned, leaning in for that cheek-to-cheek kiss

Anyway-meet my niece. Elena, this is Narima." Elena's smile was polite, maybe a lit

rl?" She grabbed Elena's hand and tugged her over to the couch like they were old bud

sure what you

At the beach, couple months back? You stopped that pic

chuckling. "Man,

half impressed. "Didn't know yo

?" Narima nodded, looking totally pleased with herself. "Oh

t the one time, right?" Elena scratched her neck

ht anyway?" Narima asked, head cocked, still

the land certificate across the table-no theatrics, just business. Narima barely glanced at them before ha

ean anything from "We're interested" to "I'm going to forget about this fo

behind them, Narima didn't move. She sat there, just looking at that deed. There was a real smile

r thumb brushing along the edge of the paper.

d about the fallout later. Not Elena. She waited, weighed her options, and only put her last big asset on the

ng back to that afternoon on the beach. Elena, staring down some idiot thief w

d her phone.

picked up. "Name's Elena. I want everything-background, family, sch

ht? Narima never got this curious about anything. "Uh, what

rious, eyes flicking down the hall where Elena ha

barely above a whisper. "Maybe thi

*

urse, his phone started buzzing-Mom again. She'd been on his case for weeks now. Nonstop. Break up wit

e was. His mother, looking like she was about to conduct a military tribunal. Arms folded, eyes na

ice-oof, sharp enough to slice bread. N

, collapsing onto the couch and yanking at

ack, cold as ever. "That b***h," she hisse

word just... snapp

as lava. "Don't call Natasha that. Seriously. She's not just

old, bottled-up crap fizzing under the surface. He'd always known his mom wa

ng at your own mother?" Her eyes didn't get water

line," Elvano stammered, voice quaking. "You act like I can't th

st!" she shot back, marching up lik

"You want what's best for yo

fizzled out, replaced by this

ion, she clutched her heart like she was starring in a so

his routine a million times. His mom d

crept in, g

hate it-but maybe, just maybe, he'

own mother?" she hissed, voice

out-now he just looked like a kicked

You think you know that woman? Please. You're s

d away, back rigid, not even glancing at him.

anything, just...don't make me give her up," he pleaded, voic

ammed into her. When she turned,

," she bit out, "and you'll mar

am. Hard enough to

and final, like the universe jus

d. That word, "marry," kept echoing in

almost not belie

ut from under him. Tight chest, shall

for real?

he mom who made him-the pressure was unreal. He coul

d, poof, his whol

g at nothing, just one thought screaming through t

s was far

Contin