Elena's POV
He opened his mouth to answer, and for one suspended moment I thought he might finally say the thing neither of us had been brave enough to name yet.
Then something shifted behind his eyes, the raw openness folding back into careful restraint, and he exhaled slowly instead, dragging a hand through his hair in a gesture that looked almost defeated.
"I shouldn't have said your name in there," he said. "Not without asking you first."
The retreat stung more than I expected, and I sat back slightly, folding my hands in my lap to hide the disappointment I hadn't fully earned the right to feel. "You had a room full of people demanding an answer. What were you supposed to do?"
"Anything other than volunteering for a bond you never agreed to." His jaw tightened, frustration directe
