Church

**Elysia**

Tristan’s rich laughter faded into the late hour of the night, leaving me alone in my room with my reckless adrenaline. But by the next morning, the harsh reality of daylight washed away that fleeting, cinematic thrill. The mafia was not an entertaining movie. It was my life now, and the stakes were very real.

I sat on the edge of Talia’s hotel mattress, flipping idly through the glos