MIA’S POV
My fingers tightened around the door handle.
“You’re the trigger.” The words echoed in my head, louder now, heavier than before. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Not yet. The room behind me was quiet, but I could feel him there.
Still.
Watching. Waiting. Always waiting.
Slowly, I turned. Ethan hadn’t moved far. He stood a few steps behind me, one hand resting lightly against the edge of his desk, his posture relaxed—but his eyes… his eyes were anything but.
Sharp.
Focused.
On me.
“What does that mean?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended, but steady enough not to betray the storm inside me.
Silence stretched between us. He didn’t answer immediately. Of course he didn’t. Ethan never gave anything easily.
Instead, he straightened slightly, pushing off the desk, his mov
