Alina's POV
Tears slipped down my cheeks no matter how hard I tried to hold them back. I stood frozen, watching the construction crew tear into the walls of my café. Each swing of the sledgehammer landed like a blow to my chest. How could Aiden do this? This place was all I had left. My hands trembled as I wiped at my wet face.
"Ma'am?"
I turned at the soft voice behind me. Elena stood there, eyes glistening, tears already carving shiny paths down her cheeks. "This is so cruel and wicked," she whispered, her voice breaking into a sob.
I forced the corners of my mouth upward into something that barely passed for a smile. "What are we going to do?" she asked, shoulders shaking.
"You don't have to worry about me, Elena. You should go find yourself another job so you don't get pulled into my mess." My voice came out steady, almost too calm, like it belonged to someone else.
