The door slammed open with a deafening bang, and a rush of armed men flooded the room. Elena's heart leapt in her throat as they positioned themselves in a circle, weapons raised. Henri was at her side in an instant, his gun aimed, ready to fire, but Elena knew they were outnumbered.
"You knew this was coming," her mother's voice rang out, cold and emotionless. "You knew we weren't going to let you walk away."
Elena's mind raced. She could feel the heat of the weapons aimed at her, the suffocating pressure of the situation closing in. The only way out now was through them. But she wasn't going down without a fight.
"We won't let you control us anymore," Henri growled, stepping in front of Elena protectively. His voice was low, simmering with fury. "We're done being your pawns."
Her mother chuckled darkly, the sound of it sending a chill down Elena's spine. "You still don't get it, do you? This was never about control, Henri. This was always about survival. And you've just sealed your fate."
Ivy's eyes flickered to Elena, then back to her mother. "This isn't how it's supposed to be," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Elena caught the hesitation in Ivy's voice. The cracks were showing, and Elena could see the conflict in her eyes. She had been a part of this, but now it seemed like Ivy was finally starting to question it all.
"I should have never trusted you," Elena spat, her voice shaking with rage. "You were the one who led me here. You were the one who set this all up!"
Ivy flinched, but her gaze remained defiant. "I never had a choice, Elena. None of us did."
Elena's eyes burned with unshed tears, but she refused to let them fall. She wasn't weak. She wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break. She had already been through too much—sacrificed too much—to give in now.
A tense silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of the men's boots shuffling against the floor. Elena could feel the walls closing in on her, but something inside her snapped.
"Henri," she whispered, her voice steady and determined. "We fight. We do this together."
Henri's eyes locked with hers, and for a brief moment, Elena saw the unspoken bond between them. The bond that had been forged through every moment of pain, every betrayal. This was their moment.