Kade turned toward him.
Elias met his gaze steadily, his expression as composed as ever.
"We still do not know whether Ethan Cross was the architect of this tragedy... or merely another victim of it."
The room fell silent once more.
Neither possibility offered comfort.
If Ethan had known, then his betrayal was beyond forgiveness.
If he had not...
Then someone else had manipulated every person involved, carefully orchestrating their suffering for the past three years.
The silence that followed seemed to stretch endlessly. Kade remained standing beside the bed, his eyes never leaving Cooper's fragile form. For the first time in a very long while, the Royal Alpha felt utterly powerless.
He had spent his life solving problems with strength, strategy, and unwavering resolve. Yet none of those things could help him now.
After a long moment, he finally broke the silence.
"What are we supposed to do now?" he asked quietly.
