Chapter 4 Secret In The Shadow

Elena settled into her new life in the sleepy coastal town of Clearwater Bay. The fresh ocean air and the quiet streets were a welcome change from the city's chaos. She rented a modest one-bedroom cottage and began freelance writing for small publications, carefully budgeting every penny.

As her pregnancy progressed, she formed a tentative friendship with her neighbor, Maeve, a retired schoolteacher who seemed to know everyone in town. Maeve's kindness was a balm to Elena's frayed nerves, though Elena kept her past-and the baby's father-a closely guarded secret.

One evening, as Elena returned from the market, she felt eyes on her. Pausing, she glanced around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Still, the feeling lingered, sending a chill down her spine.

Unbeknownst to her, Dominic's men had finally found a clue: a grainy security camera photo of Elena leaving a train station weeks ago. Dominic studied the image, his jaw tightening.

"She's hiding," he muttered.

"Should we approach her directly?" his lieutenant asked.

"Not yet. Find out everything about her first. I don't want to scare her off."

But Dominic wasn't the only one looking. His rivals had caught wind of his search and were curious. Why was the ruthless Dominic Santoro so obsessed with a woman? Could she be a weakness they could exploit?

Back in Clearwater Bay, Elena's peaceful routine was interrupted by a man in a tailored suit who appeared at her doorstep one evening. He introduced himself as Marcus, claiming to be a representative of a publishing house interested in her work. But the way he watched her, his smile too sharp, set off alarm bells in her mind.

Elena's instincts screamed danger. She had no idea just how close her past was to catching up with her.

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