Elias Pov

I stayed silent, waiting for Richard to finish whatever he had come to say. Mara was still in my arms, her presence steadying me more than I cared to admit. Richard adjusted the files in his hand, barely glancing at us. With a brief nod, he turned and left the room after he had said what he had to say, his footsteps fading down the corridor.

Silence settled between us.

I exhaled slowly and looked down at Mara.

She was still in my arms. And for a moment, I just… looked at her.

“You didn’t move,” I said softly, a small smile forming. “Richard walked in and you...