Lena's expression softened slightly, but she held back her distance. She could have offered her support, but deep down, she wasn't ready for that step. Not yet.
Despite everything, Lena believed Ethan needed to face the challenges alone, at least for now. She wanted to see how he would handle the full weight of the Great Families' wrath.
This was a test—a chance to prove his strength, resilience, and resourcefulness. If she had stepped in to shield him now, she would never have known that Ethan had what it took to survive in her world.
Her position within the Volkov family gave her immense power—enough to make the Great Families back off with just one word. She could easily protect NovaTech, keeping Ethan safe and ending the threats aimed at him. But that wasn't her goal. Not yet.
Lena had bigger plans.
