At that moment, I saw it clearly from the edge of the chaos—Hayley's expression.
She was no longer struggling in fear. She was watching.
Watching Elliot.
The man I had once believed she wanted for herself was kneeling beside me, his Alpha presence completely focused, completely broken by urgency. His hands were still on me, steadying my breath, calling me back from the edge while his voice repeated my name like a binding command.
And Hayley saw all of it.
Her wolf stilled in a way that wasn't shock—it was possession breaking.
Beside her, Erica stood frozen, completely disoriented. Her role in the plan had been simple: witnesses, timing, manipulation. But nothing was unfolding the way Hayley had designed it.
Elliot wasn't supposed to be here this fast.
He wasn't supposed to ignore her.
He wasn't supposed to choose me.
But he did.
