ELENA POV
The drive from DC had been tense, silent. Each of us was lost in our own thoughts about what we'd discovered. About the mole. About Brighton's plans.
About how little time we had left.
"I'll check on Mom," I said as we pulled into the parking lot. "Make sure she's okay."
"I'll review the security logs," Damien said. "See if there's any sign of infiltration."
"And I need to make a call," Adrien said, his voice tight. "My father will expect to hear from me after the party. If I don't contact him, he'll get suspicious."
We split up.
I practically ran to my mom's room, my heart pounding.
When I opened the door, she was there. Alive. Sleeping peacefully, her monitors showing steady vital signs.
Relief flooded through me so intensely that my knees almost buckled.
"Mama," I whispered, moving to her bedside.
She stirred, opened her eyes. "Elena? What time is it?"
"Early. I just... I needed to see you."
"You look terrible." She sat up slightly. "What happened?"
