**Elena’s POV**

The silence in the room was heavy. It felt like a thick blanket trying to muffle my very thoughts. I could hear nothing but the sound of my own shallow breathing and the frantic sound of my heart against my ribs.

My fingers trembled as I worked the small hairpin against the screw of the window frame. It was a pathetic tool against the industrial-grade security. But it was all I had left. It was my only hope.

I gritted my teeth, sweat beading on my forehead and running into my ...