Chapter 7 - Shadows in the Silence

The hospital hallway reeked of antiseptic and sleepless nights. Elina sat beside her brother's hospital bed, watching the ventilator rise and fall with a haunting rhythm. Machines beeped steadily, but nothing about it felt stable.

Her brother looked so still. So pale.

"Elina," the doctor said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He's stable for now, but we'll be watching him closely through the night. He's on life support, but we've assigned a full-time nurse."

She opened her mouth to argue, to say she wouldn't leave his side — but her body betrayed her. Her knees ached. Her head throbbed. She hadn't eaten in almost two days.

"You need rest. If you collapse, who will be there when he wakes up?"

That was the sentence that shattered her will.

And so, two hours later, Elina found herself stepping into Damon Salvatore's penthouse again.

It was silent. Cold. As if the walls themselves judged her.

She dropped her bag by the couch and sank into it, burying her face in her hands. Everything felt wrong. She didn't belong here.

Why is he keeping me here?

Why is he avoiding me like I never existed outside his contract?

A sudden knock at the door made her flinch.

She stood, fixing her hair, wiping her tears, expecting maybe a maid or Damon.

But instead… she opened the door and gasped.

"Taylor?!"

Standing there was a tall, broad-shouldered man in a travel-wrinkled coat, his carry-on bag still slung over one shoulder. His smile was hesitant — like he wasn't sure if he belonged either.

"Hey, Elina," he said softly. "Straight from the airport. I… had to see you."

Her heart jumped.

She hadn't seen Taylor in four years. Her best friend's older brother — the one who used to walk her home when her shoes hurt, who once brushed her hand in the dark and then never spoke of it again.

"You didn't tell me you were back from London!" she whispered, stepping back to let him in.

"I wanted to surprise you," he said, walking inside.

Before she could say more, the elevator chimed — and the mood shattered.

Vivienne Salvatore swept in like a storm, perfectly poised in diamonds and disgust.

Her eyes landed on Taylor first, then narrowed on Elina.

"Oh," Vivienne said coldly. "I leave for one day and you turn the penthouse into a motel."

Elina flushed. "He's just a friend."

"Sure." Vivienne's voice dripped with sarcasm. "How fitting. One lover upstairs, another walking in the door."

Taylor bristled. "I'm not a lover. And this isn't your house."

Vivienne ignored him and turned to Elina. "Let me be clear. I will find out what your game is. Girls like you don't end up in penthouses unless they're selling something."

Elina's lip trembled. "I'm not here for money."

"No," Vivienne said. "You're here for him. But that won't last long."

With that, she turned on her heel and left.

Elina felt like the ground had vanished under her. Taylor stepped closer, brushing her arm gently.

"You okay?" he whispered.

She nodded, but she wasn't. She wanted to scream. Cry. Flee.

The front door opened again.

This time it was Damon.

His eyes landed instantly on Taylor.

And his expression darkened.

"What's he doing here?" Damon snapped, stepping forward.

"He just got back. He came to check on me," Elina said, crossing her arms. "He's my friend."

Damon's jaw tightened. "Since when do friends show up at midnight? Straight from the airport?"

Taylor didn't flinch. "Since she mattered."

That was a direct hit.

Damon's lips parted like he wanted to say something cruel — but then Selena appeared behind him, purring, "Damon, I found your old cufflinks in the drawer. Remember? The ones I gave you in Milan…"

She looked up and "noticed" Elina and Taylor. Her lips curled in delight.

"Oh. How cozy."

Damon turned away from her, but Elina saw it.

That moment of hesitation.

That flicker of guilt — or regret?

She felt like she was being pulled in three different directions. Damon's silence. Taylor's warmth. Selena's poison. Vivienne's daggers.

She couldn't breathe.

"I need some air," she whispered, stepping toward the balcony.

Taylor followed her outside while Damon stayed back, watching.

The wind was sharp. Cold.

Taylor stood beside her, silent for a while before saying, "You look tired. Sad. Not like yourself."

"I don't even know who I am anymore," she said quietly.

He hesitated.

"I wanted to tell you something," he said. "Back then… before I left… I wanted to say it, but I never had the courage."

Elina looked up.

"I had feelings for you," he said simply. "And maybe I still do."

She blinked, breath catching.

But before she could reply, he added, "And before you ask — yes. I came straight here from the airport. Because I had to see you before anyone else."

"Why?" she whispered.

He smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'll tell you soon. But first, you need to know… not everyone around you is who they pretend to be."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"What do you mean?"

He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

"I'm here for more than just old memories, Elina. There's something you need to know. About Damon. About his world."

Behind them, Damon watched from inside the glass, fists clenched.

And in the shadows of the penthouse…

Secrets were starting to bleed.