Elegbede_Habeeb

The first time they met, it felt like fate. The second time, it felt like a warning.

She was running from a past that refused to die. He was chasing a future that seemed just out of reach. When their worlds collided, it was more than just love—it was an obsession, a wildfire that threatened to burn them both alive.

But love isn’t always salvation. Sometimes, it’s destruction in disguise.

Bound by Fire: Ashes of Desire

Elena's hands trembled, but she curled them into fists, forcing the weakness out. Not now. Not ever again.

Damian stood beside her, his gaze unreadable. The fire still raged behind them, sending thick smoke into the night air, but neither of them moved.

Finally, Damian spoke. "That guy…" He let out a low whistle. "Ex-boyfriend?"

Elena turned her head sharply, her glare sharp enough to cut steel. "Something like that."

Damian nodded slowly. "And by 'something like that,' you mean he's the reason you sleep with a knife under your pillow?"

Elena exhaled through her nose. "Are you always this annoying?"

He grinned. "Only when I'm intrigued."

She rolled her eyes, but the truth clawed at her ribs. Luca. Luca was back. After all these years, after all the pain, he still thought he had a claim on her.

Damian stepped closer, his voice softer now. "You don't have to tell me. But if I'm going to have your back, I need to know what kind of monster we're dealing with."

Elena hesitated. Letting someone in? That wasn't her style. But something about Damian—his steady presence, the way he hadn't flinched when Luca appeared—made her consider it.

She turned away from the burning warehouse, the heat of the past licking at her heels.

"We need to move," she said instead. "Luca doesn't play fair. If he wanted me to know he's back, it means he's already five steps ahead."

Damian watched her for a moment before nodding. "Alright, boss. Where to?"

Elena's mind raced. Luca wouldn't come back without a plan. And if she knew him—and she did—he was setting the board before making his final move.

She clenched her jaw. "We go to someone who knows him better than I do."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "And who might that be?"

Elena's lips pressed into a thin line.

Damian blinked. "Wait. Your mother?"

Elena ignored his reaction, already walking toward the car. "Are you coming or not?"

Damian chuckled under his breath as he followed. "Oh, this just keeps getting better."

Phantom Scars