Chapter 39. Strength

Elliot's POV

I stand shoulder to shoulder with the members who once bowed to Nathan's twisted whims. Yet here and now, as I witness the fervour in their eyes, the silent strength that Ally lends me with her mere presence, something within me crystallises.

"Elliot," Ally's voice is a whisper, yet it carries the weight of a thousand battles, "you see it now, don't you? The way he ensnares everyone around him, the control he exerts- it's poison."

Her words seep into my consciousness, and I feel the veil lift from my eyes. The way Nathan dismissed Ally's pain, how he parades his power over others, especially women... It's a pattern of disdain woven deep into his essence. My fists clench at my sides, nails digging crescent moons into my palms.

"His true nature," I murmur, more to myself than to anyone else. The room is thick with anticipation, a collective breath held tight in our chests.

"