Ella glanced back at the two men before turning toward her room. Her expression was calm, but her gaze carried a quiet authority that couldn’t be ignored. “I’ll be waiting,” she said, her voice even but firm, her eyes meeting theirs in turn. Her words left no room for argument. They couldn’t avoid this, and they both knew it.

As her figure disappeared down the hall, Derek and Valen exchanged uneasy glances. The weight of the past—and what was about to be revealed—hung heavily ...