Elijah clears his throat, cutting through the lingering tension in the room. He steps forward, his commanding presence drawing everyone’s attention.
“Zoe,” he says warmly. “Thank you for saving Piper. I owe you a lot. Whatever you want for your birthday, it’s yours. Just name it.”
Zoe blinks at him, clearly surprised. Then, slowly, a mischievous smirk creeps onto her face. “Anything?” she asks, her voice teasing yet calculated.
Elijah nods without hesitation. “Anything.”
Her smirk widens as she leans back against her pillows. “Give me this hotel,” she says, her tone light, but her eyes challenging. “It’s the least I deserve, seeing as my blood has been shed on this soil not once, but twice.”
I gasp so loudly that everyone turns to me. “Zoe!” I sputter, my jaw practically hitting the f
