I Saved His Life, He Sent Me to Hell

Elena's POV

Dante Ashford is my stepbrother, and the one person I should never have fallen in love with.

When I was ten, my parents died in a car crash saving his. The Ashford family took me in. During those early years, he was good to me. Somewhere between all that kindness and care, I fell for him.

When I was fourteen, men from a rival gang tried to assault me. He came alone and saved me.

When I was eighteen, that same rival family staged a car accident to take him out. He was bleeding out, dying. I donated blood, then a kidney. After surgery, I was unconscious for three days. When I woke up, Vivian Ross was sitting by his bed, and he thought she was the one who saved him.

Vivian told him I got scared and hid. After that, he started avoiding me. Every time I reached out, he treated it like some twisted obsession. Vivian became his public fiancée.

In my past life, Vivian stole classified documents from the Moretti family to sell them. She got caught, beaten half to death, and crawled back. Old man Moretti swore he'd wipe out the entire Ashford family.

Dante got on his knees in front of me. "Elena, please. You're the only one who can save her. Go take the blame for her. Three months, that's all. Then I'll bring you home."

I said no. The Morettis took Vivian anyway. They tortured her for a month before she died.

Then Dante changed. He was kind to me. He even started planning our wedding. I thought everything was finally coming back.

On the wedding day, he didn't show. His assistant announced in front of everyone, "This wedding was a lesson for Miss Elena Hayes, to show her what it feels like to be abandoned by the whole world."

With everyone staring at me like I was nothing, I jumped from the church balcony.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at that moment—him on his knees, begging.

This time, I answered calmly: "I'll do it."

Dante, from now on, we're done.

"Elena, please. You're the only one who can save her."

I'm back at the exact moment he begged me to take Vivian's place with the Morettis. Last time I said no, and it ended with me jumping off a balcony at a fake wedding.

I already gave him a kidney to save his life. My body still hasn't fully recovered. Going to the Morettis is a death sentence.

But this time I see it clearly—say yes and die, say no and die anyway.

Might as well use this death to cut ties for good.

"I'll do it."

He freezes. All those arguments he had ready just die in his throat.

The family lawyer speaks up, his voice sharp with alarm. "Miss Hayes, think about what you're doing. You know what the Morettis do to people—"

I know exactly what they'll do. But if dying gets me out of this suffocating place for good, then fine.

Dante looks at me, and the tension in his face finally eases. "You agreed, so I'll keep my promise. Whatever you want in return, name it."

"I only have one condition—I want to cut all ties with the Ashford family. After this, I'm not your daughter anymore. I'm not your sister."

He frowns. "You serious?"

He probably thought I'd use this to make him break off his engagement to Vivian. Didn't expect me to want out completely.

I nod.

His expression goes cold, his tone carrying a warning. "Elena, stop playing games. Even if you leave the family, it doesn't mean there's any chance for us."

"She's the one. The only person I'll ever protect."

My heart clenches. In my past life, I showed him all the evidence proving Vivian stole credit for saving him. He never believed me once.

So this time, all I want is distance. As much as possible.

"I understand."

He stares at me like he's picking up on something different. Then footsteps rush in from outside. The family doctor's helping Vivian walk in.

Blood still stains her face, her arm wrapped in bandages, and she's coughing hard every few steps.

Dante's on his feet immediately, steadying her.

Vivian looks at me weakly, her eyes red. "Elena... will you help me?"

I don't say anything.

Tears run down her face. "I know you don't like me. I've caused you so much trouble over the years. If going to the Morettis because of me makes you even a little happy, then..."

The coughing takes over before she can finish, her whole body shaking.

The doctor says quietly, "Miss Ross is badly injured. She needs rest."

Dante looks at her pale face, pain flashing in his eyes. He turns to me, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She needs proper rest for the next few days. I'll have people prepare the master bedroom for her."

He pauses. "Clear out your room. Move your stuff to the guest room. I don't want her seeing anything she shouldn't."

Those things—replicas of every medal he ever earned, photo albums from when I was ten until now, diaries filled with "I love you" on every page, walls covered in pictures of us together.

I dig my nails into my palms, using the pain to keep everything down.

"Okay."

Vivian tugs gently at Dante's sleeve. "Dante, isn't this too much to ask of her? I can stay anywhere, really..."

"You're in bad shape. Of course you need the best room." Dante cuts her off, his voice soft. "Elena won't mind. Right?"

He looks at me. He's not asking. He's telling me.

I don't respond. I just turn and leave the study.

In the garden, I sit on a bench and pull out my phone.

"Mom, it's me. Remember when you mentioned the Bellamy family from the east side wanting to form an alliance? I'll marry into their family."