Elena stirred to the faint buzz of her phone. The morning light had barely stretched across her ceiling, and the chill of the early hour made her curl tighter under the blanket. She blinked at the screen and frowned.
Your account has been credited: $20,000
She sat up slowly.
No message. No sender name. No explanation. Just a quiet transfer of money into her account in the earliest hours of the day.
She stared at the screen in disbelief, her mind racing. It wasn't a mistake. It was intentional.
It was him.
Luca.
Even in his absence, he found ways to appear—just not in the way she wanted. Her heart thudded. She hadn't seen him in weeks. He had faded into shadows, no longer watching from across the street, no more silent footsteps behind her on the way home. But she knew, deep in her bones, this money was from him.
And he didn't even wish her a happy birthday.
She had tried to forget it herself. Her 21st birthday wasn't something she'd been looking forward to. There were no parents to call her, no childhood traditions to cling to. No candles, no cake. Just the same hollow silence that had followed her since she was a child.
But now—this?
Twenty thousand dollars.
No explanation. No goodbye. Just silence wrapped in generosity.
It felt more like a warning than a gift.
Her eyes burned unexpectedly. She clutched the phone to her chest, a lump forming in her throat. She knew what this meant. He was trying to make sure she wouldn't suffer—just in case he never came back. Just in case this was goodbye.
And yet… he never asked how she felt about it. About him. About anything.
He never gave her a chance.
The thought tightened something in her chest. She didn't want the money. She wanted an answer.
Later that morning, Liam texted her. Something about a small rooftop hangout happening next week. She hadn't replied yet. She didn't feel like being around people. But part of her also craved escape. From the walls. From the waiting. From Luca's silence.
Maybe she'd go. Maybe pretending would help her feel normal again.
Or maybe not.
She lay back down, staring at the ceiling, still holding the phone in her hand. It was her birthday.
And it felt lonelier than ever.