Elena’s POV

I stared at Stella’s reflection for a long second.

Her expression carried that familiar mixture of superiority and malice, the same look she used to break me in my past life.

But this wasn’t my past life.

So I no longer needed to explain myself. I no longer needed to defend anything. People like her didn’t respond to logic or dignity due to cowardice, and they only backed down when forced to.

I placed my phone on the counter and reached for the coffee pot. Steam curled ...