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 clenched her fists. "You're wrong."

Sophia raised a single brow, swirling the wine in her glass. "Am I?"

Elena's jaw tightened, but deep down, she knew her mother wasn't lying. Luca had never been one to simply let go of something—or someone—he considered his.

Damian crossed his arms, his gaze flicking between them. "Alright, so let's say Luca wants Elena back. What's his next move?"

Sophia sighed, placing her glass down with an elegant clink. "That depends on how much of a fight you're willing to put up."

Elena stepped forward. "I need information, Mother. Everything you know about Luca—his weaknesses, his resources, his plans."

Sophia smiled, slow and dangerous. "And why would I do that?"

Elena's stomach twisted. Of course. With her mother, nothing came without a price.

Damian scoffed. "Maybe because your daughter's life is on the line?"

Sophia turned to him, her green eyes flickering with amusement. "Oh, sweetheart, Elena's life has always been on the line. That's just how she was raised."

Elena fought the urge to snap. "What do you want?"

Sophia studied her, considering. Then, with a casual grace, she walked to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a thin folder. She slid it across the marble table toward Elena.

Elena hesitated before picking it up. The second she opened it, her breath caught.

Inside were photos. Documents. Names.

And at the top, a name she hadn't heard in years.

Her blood ran cold. "This… this isn't possible."

Sophia leaned back against the chair, watching her reaction with quiet satisfaction. "He's alive."

Elena's pulse thundered in her ears. Victor Calloway. The man who had started everything. The man who had sold her into Luca's world in the first place.

She had spent years believing he was dead.

Sophia's voice was silk and steel. "You want my help with Luca? Then do something for me first."

Elena lifted her gaze, her fingers tightening around the file. "What?"

Sophia's smile was sharp as a knife.

Damian exhaled, rubbing his jaw. "Jesus."

Elena stared at the file, her mind spinning. This changed everything.

It meant Luca wasn't the only ghost from her past hunting her.

Sophia leaned forward, lowering her voice. "You want to stop running? You want to end this game? Then take back control. End it before it begins."

Elena looked at Damian, searching for something—reassurance, logic, anything.

He met her gaze, unreadable. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Your call, Elena."

Elena closed the file, her heart hammering.

She had spent years trying to escape her past.

She lifted her chin, meeting her mother's cold gaze.

Sophia smiled. "Now we're talking."

Bargaining with the Devil