Despite how big the house is, the foyer is only so big with everyone pinning Wyatt in place, not giving him even a chance to breathe. It’s volatile, and with one wrong move, this could be the end for him.
The thought makes something twist in me.
“You kidnapped our sister,” Ivan utters, adjusting his grip on the pistol with the same razor-sharp focus he uses while checking live feeds and scrubbing old footage. It’s almost strange for me to see a weapon in his grasp, rather than a screen.
Wyatt’s eyes slide to me, then back to the others. “She was kidnapped by someone else. She was given to me to save their skin, and I kept her safe from the others.”
“That’s not how this works,” Roman says, icy and unforgiving.
As much as I still resent the way Wyatt handled things, watching him stand there like that, facing them all directly, makes something burn inside me.
“Let him finish,” I cut in, surprising even myself with the conviction in my voice.
I feel everyone’s attention turns to me immediately.
“Elena,” Roman warns.
“I’m not a child, and I’m not helpless,” I say, well aware that I’m not usually one to speak to him like this. “Just listen.”
Another beat of uncertainty goes by, almost like they can’t believe what I’m saying. Given his expression, Wyatt doesn’t expect it either.
“He never hurt me even when he could’ve,” I continue, reminding myself that his very life is on the line, not mine. “The other man was going to sell me, and while Wyatt could’ve handed me off just as easily, he didn’t.”
“That doesn’t make him a saint,” Mikhail says with a scoff. “Not when he has something else to gain.”
“I didn’t say it did, but it doesn’t make him a monster either.”
Roman glances between us, not hiding that calculating look. “Why are you defending him?”
With a discreet breath, I reply, “Because he brought me here despite knowing exactly this would happen. And because he came to see Lily…his sister.”
Wyatt’s jaw tightens right as that little fact feels more like a bomb detonating. Everyone goes perfectly still while that truth settles in, and Mikhail tenses.
Then, he nods. “I thought she was being held here against her will, so I planned to leverage Elena for her until I learned I was wrong.”
“Is that not what you’re trying to do now?” Roman asks, still skeptical. “…Leveraging her?”
“No,” Wyatt says without missing a beat. “I brought Elena here as an act of good faith. I don’t want either of them hurt.”
Mikhail’s gaze narrows. “What do you want then?”
“I just want to see Lily for myself. To see that she’s alive and well.”
My brother bristles, then he laughs, lacking humour. “You expect us to believe that? That you’ll just walk away if she’s happy?”
“I expect you to watch me do it.”
The room goes quiet again, and despite myself, I feel a glimmer of hope move through me when they don’t push harder.
After a long, almost agonizing stretch, Roman sighs and gestures for everyone to lower their weapons. Despite their instincts, they listen, doing so reluctantly. Finally, they step back just enough to ease up on him.
It isn’t with trust or forgiveness, but a small, fleeting opportunity to prove himself.
“Just so we’re clear, I don’t like this,” Roman says, meaning every word. “I don’t like you…but my sister thinks you’re worth giving a chance. So I will, for now.”
I watch as Wyatt relaxes just enough to breathe, conceding in his silent surrender. “The feeling’s mutual…”
The tension doesn’t go away, but it loosens, allowing more air to rush back into my lungs.
