REINA
Elisa exhaled through her nose, then bent down to casually pick up her shopping bags as if nothing had happened.
"Well," she said lightly, brushing her hands together, "that was pathetic. She really thought she could talk to you like that, huh? Who the fuck did she think she is?"
I stared at her, still processing.
A shaky, slightly hysterical laugh escaped .
Elisa imdiately dropped the bags again and rushed over, cupping my face gently with both hands. Her touch was surprisingly tender after the violence she’d just shown.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly, eyes full of genuine concern. "Did that bitch touch you? Did she hurt you at all?"
"No... I’m okay."
She searched my face carefully, still visibly protective.
"She seed nasty. What was she even doing here? Why was she yelling at you like that?"
I shook my head, not ready to explain the full ss.
Elisa pulled into a tight hug anyway, stroking my hair.
"You don’t have to tell right now. But listen to , Reina, no one gets to talk to you like that. Not while I’m here. You’re family, my brother’s persons are my family. And I protect the people I love."
Her voice dropped, fierce and sincere.
"If she cos back, I’ll handle it. You got it? My brother won’t mind if I hurt anyone just to protect you, so don’t be scared to tell if she bothers you again, I swear I’d kill her without a second thought."
My eyes burned with unshed tears as I clung to her.
For the first ti in what felt like forever, I didn’t feel completely defenseless. And I wondered why Donico had to lock Elisa away like that. I swear she was one of the sweetest people I had ever t. So why? Why did he do that?
"Elisa, I’m fine. Really."
She didn’t believe a single word.
Her hands remained firmly on my shoulders, turning left and right like a doll she was inspecting for cracks. Her sharp, protective eyes scanned every inch of my face, my neck, my arms, hunting for even the smallest mark Tessa might have left.
"Stand still," she commanded.
"I am standing still."
"You’re emotionally wobbling. I can see it."
A small, broken laugh slipped out of .
She narrowed her eyes. "That laugh sounded dangerously unstable."
"I promise I’m okay."
"You promise too easily," she muttered, lifting my chin with surprising gentleness to check the side of my face. After a long mont, she finally huffed and stepped back, crossing her arms tightly.
"I still don’t like it. Not one bit."
"I know."
She jerked her head toward the door Tessa had slamd behind her.
"Who the hell was that rabid raccoon anyway?"
I blinked. "A what?"
"A rabid raccoon," Elisa repeated without missing a beat. "Aggressive, foaming at the mouth, and badly styled. Terrible hair, worse attitude."
That pulled a real, surprised laugh from .
"She was... my friend from college," I said quietly.
"Was?" Elisa caught the past tense imdiately, her brows shooting up.
"Yeah. Was."
Her expression softened with understanding. "That serious, huh?"
I shrugged, trying and failing to make it look casual. "We had a fight."
"About?"
"Life."
"Be specific."
"It’s nothing important."
She studied for a long mont, clearly sensing the lie, but surprisingly, she let it drop.
"Fine. Keep your secrets, Reina. But if that witch shows her face here again, I’m biting her."
"You already kicked her."
"And I can multitask beautifully," she said with a dangerous little smile.
I shook my head, smiling despite the heavy ache still lodged in my chest.
To shift the mood, I glanced at the pile of shopping bags still abandoned by the door.
"Where have you been all day anyway?"
Her entire face lit up like fireworks.
"Oho."
"That sounds extrely suspicious."
"It is extrely suspicious," she declared proudly.
"Elisa..."
She wagged a finger at . "Nope. Top secret. But tomorrow, on your anniversary with my ridiculously handso brother, you will witness the glorious fruits of my labor."
"You sound like a cartoon villain."
"And yet the people love ," she said with a dramatic hair flip.
I laughed again, louder this ti.
She pointed triumphantly. "See? I healed you already."
"You’re impossible."
"I’m a genius."
Within fifteen minutes, Elisa had completely transford the living room. Blankets were draped everywhere, bowls of popcorn and an ridiculous amount of snacks covered the coffee table, and sparkling drinks were chilling. She curled up right beside on the couch like we’d been doing this for years and took control of the remote with terrifying confidence.
"No sad movies," she announced.
"I wasn’t going to choose one."
"No docuntaries either."
"Why not?"
"Because listening to n whisper about whale migration while my mascara is trying to survive is not entertainnt."
I snorted.
She picked a ridiculous cody with terrible wigs and over-the-top acting. Sohow, it was exactly what I needed.
For a while, the world outside disappeared.
I laughed until my eyes watered when a character dramatically slipped into a fountain mid-proposal. Elisa laughed even harder, nearly rolling off the couch.
"You see?" she gasped between breaths. "This is cinema."
We were halfway through the movie when curiosity finally got the better of .
I glanced sideways at her.
"How have you really been, Elisa?"
She tossed popcorn into her mouth. "Right now? Absolutely fabulous."
"I an... really."
Her chewing slowed.
"I heard..." I hesitated. "I heard you were in so kind of ntal hospital. And that you escaped."
The room went deathly quiet.
Elisa froze completely, the popcorn bowl trembling slightly in her lap.
"Elisa, you don’t have to—"
"No," she cut in, forcing a brittle smile. "It’s okay."
But it wasn’t.
Her face had already begun to crack.
She pulled her knees tightly to her chest and stared at the paused screen, eyes distant.
"I’d rather never speak about that place again," she whispered. "Ever."
I nodded quickly. "Okay. I’m sorry."
For a mont, the mood felt salvageable.
I took a careful breath and tried a gentler path.
"What about your brother?" I asked softly. "What’s Paolo really like?"
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