LOGINANDREW'S POV, “That seems premature. We're at a delicate point in the discussion—” “Which is exactly why we need a few minutes,” I said, holding his gaze. He looked away first, and I continued. “To discuss your proposals in private and speak our mind without you listening to us. Unless there's a r
ANDREW'S POV, I noticed the guard first. Not his presence, his absence. The post in the east corridor had been manned every time I had checked it since we arrived. It was a consistent, unremarkable detail that I had catalogued the way I catalogued everything in a room like this one—automatically,
ELENA'S POV, The report came in fragments, the way bad news always did. It wasn't clean, nor with the kind of clarity that made decisions easy. Just pieces, arriving one after another through channels that were supposed to be secure and reliable, and each piece landed worse than the one before it.
ELENA'S POV, “I don't need a recess,” I said and my voice came out flat. It wasn't cold, nor sharp, just flat, emptied of the performance of composure I had been maintaining since we walked through the door. Al'thor blinked once, and for the first time since this meeting began, I watched fear fli
ELENA'S POV, I don't know how long I stood there before Andrew noticed. He didn't say anything at first. He just shifted around, closing the distance between us by half a step, the way he always did when he sensed something was wrong but didn't yet know what shape it had taken. It was a small thin
ELENA'S POV, “During what?” I asked, not caring that I cut him off from finishing, or that my voice was loud. I had spent years making sure others were happy with what I was doing, and I wasn't the reason for any of their troubles. Now I wanted to be better than that, for myself, instead of being
ELENA'S POV,Ryan’s kiss was fierce, consuming, like he wanted to burn away every wall I was trying to hold between us.I was taken by surprise when he kissed me the first time, because I couldn't understand why he would want to do anything with me. I hated myself for being weak and a burden, so sho
ELENA'S POV,I walked back towards my room, thinking about my life and how hopeless it turned out to be.The book was pressed against my chest, though I couldn’t even remember the title or what the book was about. Just like before, the staff seemed to hold their conversation when I walked past them,
I closed the book slowly, meeting her gaze without answering her. I didn't want to waste my time or give her any more power over me. She almost destroyed my life, and I knew she was going to try again. Whatever Ryan said to her was for nothing because she wouldn't leave me alone. She wasn't the type
I laughed a little before asking him, “What do you think they are talking about?”Ryan asked Hunter to bring Casey directly to his office, alone. I wanted to follow after her, to hear with my own ears what she had to say, but I couldn't because I wasn't allowed to. I had to stay outside, with Corbin







