Elena’s POV

The silence after Cole’s declaration still hangs heavy in the air, my team’s faces frozen in wide-eyed disbelief, Isabella’s skin flushed a furious shade of red, and Michael standing stiff as a board, his jaw tight as though he might break his teeth from grinding them together. I let the quiet stretch, savouring the taste of victory on my tongue, before I finally turn back to my team and allow my voice to steady into something calm and business-like, the kind of tone that ...