~Hellbound~

Summoning the courage, I finally spoke, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and vulnerability. "Lucy," I began, "if Derek finds out about my past, I don't think he will still accept me."

Lucy regarded me with understanding, her gaze unwavering. It seemed she knew that I carried secrets and wounds that I had been reluctant to share. And while the enigmatic world we lived in was filled with complexity, it was also a place where genuine understanding and compassion could be found.

"Don't worry, Elena," Lucy reassured me, her voice gentle and soothing. "People can surprise you. And Derek strikes me as someone who cares deeply for you."

Her words offered a glimmer of hope, and I couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, I could find the strength to reveal the truths of my past to the man who had entered my life so unexpectedly.