Ronan’s POV

For a moment, Elias didn’t speak.

He just stood there, breathing too fast, gripping the counter behind him like it was the only thing anchoring him to the floor. The fluorescent lights flickered again, throwing sharp shadows across his face.

When he finally opened his eyes, they looked… defeated.

Not weak, Elias was never weak but resigned. Cornered. Like a man who’d been hiding underwater for years and finally reached the point where he couldn’t keep drowning for the ...