Elia's POV

Richard left the hallway as my glare burned into the back of his head. I turned my attention back to Mara, whose small frame seemed to vibrate with a tension she was trying desperately to hide.

"We’ll talk about this later," I said, my voice softening despite the storm of questions in my mind. "When you actually decide to talk to me. I don’t want you stressing right now."

I reached out and gently but firmly took the stack of files she was clutching against her chest. She looked startled, her fingers lingering on the manila folders as if they were a shield.

"It’s fine," she protested, her...