Not joy.
Not celebration.
But this time —
This time was different.
I wasn’t powerless.
I had resources. Medical support.
Security. Protection.
A house guarded by men who followed orders.
My hand pressed a little firmer against my stomach.
Like I was grounding myself.
Like I was protecting it from invisible threats.
“You’re staying,”I whispered again.
My voice carried determination now — not just fear.
“You hear me?”
“You’re staying.”
The room remained silent.
The mansion outside continued functioning.
Power moved quietly through hallways.
But inside this room —
For the first time in years —
Silence didn’t feel like punishment.
It didn’t feel like isolation.
It felt like possibility.
And I clung to that possibility with everything I had.
Chapter 10
ELENA
Seven months had passed in a blur.
Not peacefully. Not easily.
But carefully.
Every week had been structured around doctor appointments, specialist consultations, ultrasound scans, and constant monitoring under Petros’s relentless supervision.
