Elena's POV
The silence between us was so thick I could almost hear it crackle. Justin's words still lingered in the air, stern and clipped, the kind that didn't leave much room for negotiation. He sat at the far end of the dining table, shoulders squared, posture as rigid as a man presiding over a boardroom rather than breakfast.
I kept my eyes on my plate, dragging the fork through scrambled eggs I had no appetite for. I could feel his gaze, steady and expectant, but I refused to lift my head. I knew what he wanted a reaction, an argument, even my reluctant compliance but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Not today.
"From Monday, you'll resume work," he said again, his tone deliberate, as though repetition could brand the command into my skin.
I said nothing.
