Elena's POV
The question hung between us, unanswered, and I watched him wait for it with a raw, unguarded hope I'd never seen on his face before… the exact opposite of the careful, controlled man who'd walked into this room less than an hour ago prepared to lose everything rather than admit what he actually wanted.
I didn't answer right away. I couldn't, not with the two halves of myself pulling in such different directions that even breathing steadily felt like an effort.
One half of me, the half that had walked through those revolving doors two weeks ago with a folder full of my father's ruin and a plan built on six months of careful preparation, understood exactly what this offer meant in purely practical terms. A real bond meant real access… deeper than any assistant's badge could g
