Alina’s POV
The knock came twenty-seven minutes into my self-imposed exile. I had been staring at the countdown on my phone as if it held all the answers to life, and with each ticking minute, my anxiety grew. So when the knock finally came—strong and unmistakably from Jaxon, I felt my stomach drop.
“Come in,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
The door opened, and Jaxon stepped inside, closing it behind him with a soft click. His face was calm, but I could see the tension in his shoulders and the way his eyes were tight.
“We’ve made a decision,” he said, standing by the door as if he was afraid I would run away. “You can go. Maddox will take you and stay with you the whole time.”
A wave of relief washed over me, but then suspicion quickly followed. “That’s it? No conditions? No
