Elena’s POV

“I know this is difficult,” I said quietly, forcing my voice to remain steady even as distress pressed painfully against my chest.

I lifted my eyes to Elder Chen, letting him see just enough vulnerability to sell the act without surrendering myself entirely. “But I have no other choice. That’s why I came to you—to plead.”

For a moment, he only studied me, his gaze slow and deliberate, as if he were weighing not my words but my worth. Then he chuckled softly, the ...