My chest tightened before I could stop it, and I sighed softly. "What do you want, then?"
Elliot didn't answer directly. His gaze stayed locked on me, steady and unyielding, like an Alpha refusing to explain a command he believed should already be understood. "Don't you already know what I want?" he asked instead.
The question hung between us, heavy with something unspoken. Wanting something as simple as clarity suddenly felt complicated, like I was standing too close to a bond I hadn't agreed to acknowledge.
I let out a slow breath, sensing that pushing further would only trap us in the same loop again. Instead, I stood up from the sofa and smoothed my expression into something calmer. "Thank you for taking care of Jared and me all this time, President Presgrave. It's late. We should rest. Good night."
I turned to leave, expecting the conversation to end there.
