Pain.
It bloomed behind her eyes like a firework gone wrong, sharp and merciless.
Eliana's hands flew to her temples as another memory struck—more vivid than before, more brutal in its delivery. One moment, she was standing there, her mother's arms around her. The next, she was drowning in fragments of a past she'd begged her mind to forget.
She was in a dimly lit room, a man she couldn't fully recognize looming over her. His fingers were wrapped tight around her arm, his grip leaving bruises even in memory.
"You're mine," he had growled, fury flashing in his eyes.
Another memory layered over it—her own voice, raw and broken.
"I don't want to marry him, Mom! Please, find another way!"
The pain surged again. The room tilted.
"Eliana!" Isabelle's voice was frantic, but distant. Like it was being called through water.
"Eliana, baby, it's alright—"
"Don't come near me!" she gasped, backing away, her eyes darting wildly between her mother, father, brother, and Damon. She looked like a deer cornered in a burning forest.
"Eliana, please," Daniel said, stepping forward.
"No!" she cried. "You—you all knew! You gave me away like I was nothing!"
Damon moved, slowly, like he was approaching a frightened animal. "Eliana..."
"Don't!" Her voice cracked. "Not you. Not now."
Her knees buckled.
Damon rushed forward just in time to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Get the doctor!" Isabelle screamed.
"Now!" Damon bellowed, lifting Eliana into his arms.
---
Dr. Ivan arrived swiftly, his coat flapping behind him as he was led to the guest bedroom where Eliana lay unconscious. He was a tall, composed man in his forties, with years of experience handling trauma cases.
He checked her pulse, her eyes, murmuring instructions to the nearby nurse.
"She's stable," he finally said, voice calm. "But her mind is working overtime. The headaches and the collapse were triggered by a rush of repressed memories. It's not uncommon in cases like this. Her body is catching up to everything her heart's been trying to block."
"Will she be alright?" Damon asked quietly.
"She will. But you need to be careful. No more lies. No more emotional landmines. She's stronger than you think, but she's also more fragile than she looks."
Isabelle sat beside the bed, holding her daughter's hand like it was the only lifeline she had left.
Dr. Ivan gave final instructions and left them alone.
---
Eliana woke to the soft sound of rain tapping against the windows.
She blinked, her lashes wet. Her head ached, her throat dry. But most of all—her heart felt like it had been cracked open.
Her mother was by her side, eyes swollen from crying. Damon stood at a respectful distance near the wall.
Eliana looked at them both. "I want the truth," she rasped. "Now."
Isabelle's lips trembled. "Darling… I—"
"No," Eliana cut in. "No more cushioning. No more half-truths. I remember enough to know something was wrong. Start talking."
Daniel walked into the room then, his face heavy with regret. "It's time," he murmured.
Her mother, Isabelle Moore, sat beside her on the bed, brushing a strand of hair from Eliana's face. "Your father's business had been struggling for years. But things truly fell apart when we took a loan from… someone dangerous."
"Eliana," Daniel began, voice heavy, "I borrowed money from Valerio Moretti—an oil and gas tycoon. Powerful. Influential. Ruthless. I thought I could repay it in time, but the market crashed, and our assets were frozen. He threatened to take everything—our home, your brother's education, even my patents."
"He didn't just want repayment," Isabelle continued. "He wanted an alliance. A way to control our family. He proposed a marriage—between you and his son."
"Sebastian," Eliana whispered. Her heart squeezed at the name. "I remember him. He… he hit me."
Isabelle's hands trembled. "Yes. You met him once at a function. He was charming at first, but behind closed doors… you came home with bruises. I wanted to stop it, but we were trapped. Your father tried to negotiate, but Valerio didn't care."
"I begged you!" Eliana's voice broke. "I begged you not to let it happen!"
"We know," Daniel said, eyes glassy. "We failed you. That's when a friend mentioned Damon Blackwood. He had just lost his father. To inherit the company, he needed a wife. It was supposed to be a contract marriage. Clean. Emotionless."
Eliana looked at Damon, who still hadn't spoken.
"You traded me," she said bitterly. "Again."
"No," Isabelle said quickly. "Damon wasn't like them. He offered to pay Moretti off—completely. He cleared our debt and took you away before the wedding to Sebastian could take place. We didn't want you to be married to a monster."
"But you handed me over to another stranger!"
Daniel took a step forward. "It wasn't perfect. But Damon gave you protection. And time."
Eliana pressed a hand to her forehead. The headache pulsed again. "I was unhappy. I didn't love him. I just wanted to be free."
"You tried to escape," Isabelle whispered. "You took the car. Damon chased after you… then the accident happened."
Tears slipped down Eliana's cheeks. "So all this time… this house, this life… it was never mine. I was running."
Damon finally spoke, voice low. "You were never a prisoner. I know how it looks. But I—"
"No," she cut him off. "Not now. I don't want comfort. I want answers."
Daniel nodded. "Ask anything."
"Why didn't you fight harder for me? Why did I have to pay for your mistakes?"
"We thought we were saving you," Isabelle said. "But we didn't realize… we were just choosing a different kind of cage."
Daniel buried his face in his hands. "I failed you, Eliana. As a father. I should've found another way."
Eliana turned to Damon. "And you? Where did you come in?"
He looked pained but said nothing.
Eliana turned away. She felt like she was unraveling. Like the walls around her heart were collapsing.
A soft knock came at the door.
Lucas peeked in, hesitant. "Is she okay?"
Eliana's eyes met his. "I'm okay," she lied.
He looked at their parents, then at Damon, then back at Eliana. "We missed you."
She tried to smile. It didn't reach her eyes.
As the room settled into silence again, Eliana stared at the ceiling, breath shaky.
Everything had changed.
And nothing felt real anymore.