After the ball ended, and she reached her room, Elena tossed and turned in her bed, the events of the evening replaying in her mind like a relentless storm. Despite her insistence to herself that she could find peace, sleep eluded her entirely. Like the previous ball, she found solace in the familiarity of the kitchen, assisting Chef Giovanni with the preparations. But from time to time, she could not stop having shivers down her spine when she remembered her previous night's events. She tried to block those images, but unsuccessfully, so she performed her tasks like in a trance.
Once the tasks were completed, Sarah convinced Elena to sneak out and catch a glimpse of the guests in the ballroom. Elena protested, warning of the potential consequences, but Sarah's enthusiasm proved infectiou
