ELENA

I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand over my face before letting it fall limply onto my lap. My body still ached from last night, and the last thing I wanted was to sit here, having a conversation with the very person responsible for it.

“I’m fine,” I said, my voice flat. “As you can see.”

Then, with a dry chuckle, I leaned my head back against the headboard. “Unless, of course, you were hoping I’d be dead by now. But as you can see, I’m still alive. So, no need to ...