ELARA'S POV
The gallery had a problem. My biggest investor was pulling out.
"I'm sorry, Elara. The market's unstable right now. I need to liquidate some assets."
I hung up and stared at the spreadsheet. Without that investment, I couldn't afford the lease renewal in three months. Everything I'd built was collapsing.
I called Marcus first. He listened, then said, "You need about two hundred thousand to stay afloat?"
"Closer to two-fifty with operating costs."
"I can't cover that. Maybe fifty at most."
"I know. I wasn't asking."
But I needed to tell someone. The weight of it was crushing.
I almost called Damien. Stopped myself. This was exactly the kind of crisis where old patterns could resurface—him swooping in with money, me feeling indebted, the power dynamic shifting back to wh
