**Elena**
"Leave the room. It's too crowded here."
Xavier’s voice. Calm, firm impossible to ignore.
My vision sharpened like someone wiped the fog from my eyes. He was standing right there. And everyone else... roaming like they belonged.
"She's finally awake," Trisha said, too loud, too bright.
"Such a drama queen," Aunt Lena added, as if fainting was a choice I made for attention.
I blinked slowly, piecing things together. It hadn’t even been ten minutes, yet it felt like I’d dropped off the edge of the earth. The maids were gone. That was a clue in itself. I must’ve passed out.
Something warm touched my palm. I flinched and pulled back. His hand.
Xavier's hand.
"She's even ungrateful about it," Aunt Lena snapped. "Xavier carried you in and you act like he's a plague."
Wait..he
