Chapter 7 Boundaries and Unspoken Truths

Dang, Elena's words were still rattling around in her head-too sharp? Maybe. But you gotta do what you gotta do, right? Sometimes, you just have to set the boundary, even if it stings a bit. She wasn't out here trying to be the ice queen or anything. Not really. That's probably why she paused, turned back, and tossed a little olive branch over her shoulder:

"Look, Narima, I do need help. But spying? Not the move. Seriously, if you want to know me, just, I dunno, talk to me like a normal person. Let's do the friend thing-ask whatever, just not...whatever this was."

She kept her voice steady, polite even, which is honestly wild considering she was holding back a tidal wave of frustration. Most people would've snapped, let's be real. But Elena? Nah, she kept it together, all calm and collected on the outside-even if her insides were doing cartwheels and screaming into the void.

And somehow, that just made Narima even more obsessed. Like, who stays that composed? It was impressive, and it confirmed everything Narima had hoped for: Elena was it. The one. The only person who might actually reach her knucklehead of a son. She felt it in her bones-no matter how much resistance she got from either of them, this was happening. Love was practically written in the stars or whatever.

Narima could already feel her own admiration bubbling up, like a shy little flower. If she could fall for Elena's quiet strength, her son didn't stand a chance.

She softened, eyes shining with something dangerously close to hope. "I'm sorry, Elena. I really am. Won't happen again. But, um... can I still try to get to know you?"

Elena sucked in a breath, shoulders still tight but yeah, maybe a little less than before. Not exactly zen, but hey, progress.

She shot a look at Narima. "Fine," she muttered, voice not quite as hard as she wanted. "I'll let it go. This time. Next time? Don't count on it."

Narima's smile was all nerves and relief, like someone who'd just dodged a pop quiz.

Elena shook her head, half-smiling. "Guess I owe you an apology," she said, softer now. She straightened up, kinda bracing herself. "I should get out of here."

And poof-she was heading for the door, and man, the room suddenly felt too big. You ever get that? The air a little heavier, like a hug you can't see but can't really shake off either.

Narima just stood there, chest tight, mind racing a mile a minute. Fix it, she thought. Gotta fix this mess. She wasn't gonna let things get weird with Elena-not if she could help it. Felt like they'd just survived round one of some invisible game, and she wanted round two to go way smoother.

She cleared her throat. "Okay, but seriously-think about what I said." Her eyes didn't waver. "Selling the land's gonna drag on. You need cash now. Don't do something stupid, alright? Just... don't."

Elena flashed a lopsided grin, gave Narima this awkward little nod, and then she was gone.

Walking away, Elena felt...hell, maybe proud? She'd finally stood her ground, said her piece. Sure, the doubts still nipped at her heels, but whatever. She'd survived. Next time, she'd be ready-no more second-guessing.

Narima kept her eyes glued to Elena as she walked away-couldn't help it, honestly. Something about that woman just got under her skin, in a good way. Narima had already decided she liked her. Maybe more than she should.

Thing is, women like Elena didn't just stroll around every day. And it wasn't just her looks, though sure, that didn't hurt. Nah, Elena had layers. The kind of stuff you didn't see right away, but man, if you caught a glimpse, you knew you'd lucked out. Like stumbling on a diamond in a parking lot-who just walks past that?

Letting Elena go? Nope. Not happening. Narima was stubborn as hell when she wanted something. Daughter-in-law material? Absolutely. Didn't matter if Elena or even her own son threw a fit-love would catch up with them. It had to. Who wouldn't fall for a woman like that? She made it look easy.

Meanwhile, out in the yard, Elena's feet just... stopped. Like she'd hit an invisible wall. She'd been marching away, probably in a hurry to ditch this awkward visit, when bam-someone familiar showed up.

"Elena?" That voice, all sharp and surprised, belonged to Elvano. Of course. Because why not?

Elena squinted at him, like maybe if she blinked hard enough he'd disappear. No such luck. There he was-her boss, standing in the flesh and looking just as shocked.

She didn't bother faking a smile. Her lips did this weird thing, pulling tight, clearly not thrilled to see him. If looks could talk, hers would be saying, "Seriously? Today?"

Elvano, for his part, looked like he'd just bitten into a lemon. "What are you doing here? How did you find my house?" He sounded rattled, which-fair. Nobody at work even knew where he lived. Guess the universe had jokes today.

Elena just kinda stood there, still reeling, all knotted up inside. Like, wait-Elvano? Here? Seriously? Her brain just kept looping, trying to catch up.

Did he just say this was his house? This place? Now her thoughts were tripping over themselves. Is this the guy Narima wants me to meet? No way. She almost laughed-almost-just a twitch at her lips. The universe had jokes, apparently.

Thank god she hadn't just told Narima yes on the spot. Imagine marrying Elvano, the guy she bickers with more often than she changes her socks. She'd rather eat glass.

Elvano just shot her that look-you know the one, all eyebrows and attitude. "What, cat got your tongue? Honestly, I'm starting to miss your usual smart mouth." His voice oozed sarcasm. Classic Elvano.

"Yeah, well, my business is none of yours. Move," she snapped, shouldering past him. No way was she gonna stand around for another second with his ego taking up all the air.

Except-bam-his hand clamped around her wrist, stopping her cold. She jerked her head up, heart thumping, and there he was: all intense and dead serious, like he'd just morphed into a brick wall.

"Elena, we need to talk," he said. No softness, no wiggle room. Just that unblinking stare, locking her in place. Ugh.

She shot him a look, eyes narrowed. "Wow. Didn't think you could handle five minutes with me. What's this, a new record?"

He just stared. She rolled her eyes. "Are you actually following me now?"

Elena let out this snort-couldn't help herself. "Please. You think your life's that interesting? If I were gonna stalk someone, I'd at least pick a celebrity. Or a circus clown. Way more entertaining."

Her words hit him-she could see it. Satisfying, honestly.

She studied his face, eyebrow cocked. Something about this whole situation was just... off. Suspicion, amusement, horror-she had the whole cocktail.

Seriously, universe? Setting her up with Elvano? Might as well drop her in a volcano while they're at it. She blinked, dazed. This was her circus now.

To be continued...