Mia’s POV

The room was tense, like the air itself didn’t know whether to move or freeze. Everyone was staring at me, waiting for some magical plan to fall out of my mouth. Honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing,but I wasn’t about to let them see that.

Elsie deserved better than this mess they’d created.

“Alright,” I said, standing taller, ignoring the ache in my legs. “If we’re doing this, you all have to listen to me. No interruptions, no second-guessing. Got it?”

Rowan opened her mouth to argue, but I shot her a look that could burn through steel. “Especially you.”

She shut up. Good.

I turned...