A PLEA

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A PLEA

ELENA'S POV

My fingers shook as I gently grasped Liam’s wrist, guiding him inside the house. The weight of what had just happened lingered in the air like a shadow that refused to leave. I let go of his arm as soon as we crossed the threshold and sat down on the couch, still trying to wrap my mind around the scene outside. Liam stood near the door, his posture rigid, as if something was clawing at him from the inside. He seemed like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to begin.

An uneasy silence settled between us, each second stretching out longer than the last. The ticking of the clock on the wall only served to make the silence more unbearable. I shifted uncomfortably, waiting for him to speak, to break the heavy stillness.

Finally, he took a deep breath, his voice coming out quieter than I expected. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his serious tone. *A secret?* My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately felt