The Weight of Betrayal

Lena's POV

The car ride back was thick with silence.

Elias sat beside her, his body rigid, his jaw clenched so tightly she could almost hear his teeth grinding. Reed was in the front seat, arms crossed over his chest, staring out the window as if avoiding their presence entirely.

Damon drove, his knuckles white against the wheel. No one spoke.

Lena's mind was a storm.

Reed had admitted to working with Vivian. He had betrayed her.

And yet…

He had also saved her.

How the hell was she supposed to process that?

Her eyes flickered to Elias. She could feel his anger. It was radiating off him in waves, barely contained. He was the one who had trusted Reed the most, brought him into their inner circle, and now that trust had been shattered.

Lena inhaled sharply, trying to suppress the ache in her chest.

Elias suddenly turned his head, his gaze locking onto hers.