Elena was reduced to a jumbled mess on the ground, and her labored breathing made me realize how long this had been going on. This was not supposed to be that hard. This was not expected to take as long as it did. However, there I stood, pacing this wretched room, the smell of blood heavy in the air, my patience running low with every passing moment.
I was going to get Cora back because she was mine, always had been. Ethan lacked the authority to retain her or shield her. Something had to be keeping him from thinking he could prevent me from getting what was rightfully mine. I needed Elena to talk because of this. Though she was broken and battered, she refused to give me what I needed even though she knew the answers.
I paused my pacing and fixed my gaze on her. I had underestimated her
