Chapter 192: You think they’ll last a week before something explodes?

Dominic Hale was pissed.

Not visibly.

Not in a way that anyone who didn’t know him would notice.

But he knew it.

And so did Elena.

Which only made it worse.

Because she had done what no one else ever could—gotten under his skin.

Again.

And the worst part?

She knew it.

**Elena Steel Knew Exactly What She Was Doing**

She walked through the Apex hallways like she owned the place, unbothered, unreadable, carrying herself with the kind of effortless authority that made people step aside without question.

And yet—

There was something just beneath the surface.

Something sharp.

Something waiting.

Because Dominic wasn’t the only one struggling with old ghosts.

Elena exhaled, rolling her shoulders, forcing her mind back to work instead of the mess she had just left behind in his office.

Because if she let herself think too much—she might start remembering.

And that?

That was a line she wasn’t ready to cross.

Not yet.

Liam leaned against the railing of the second-floor overlook, arms crossed, watching as Dominic stormed across the floor in one direction while Elena disappeared into another.

"Well," Liam muttered, "that was fun."

Zayn smirked. "You think they’ll last a week before something explodes?"

James, standing beside them, sipped his coffee.

"I give them three days."

Seraphina sighed, shaking her head. "We’re supposed to be professionals."

Damon, standing beside her, chuckled. "Says the woman who was also watching."

Seraphina glared at him. "For research."

Liam grinned. "Oh yeah. We’re all doing research here."

Seraphina huffed, crossing her arms.

"They’re going to snap," she said.

James smirked. "And we are going to be here for all of it."

It didn’t take long for their paths to cross again.

Not even a full day.

Dominic had gone to the training bay, needing to burn off the frustration that had been simmering in his chest since Elena had walked away from their conversation.

Punching things usually helped.

Usually.

But the moment he stepped inside—she was already there.

Elena, standing in front of a training dummy, wrapping her hands, completely unaware of his presence.

For a second—**just a second—**Dominic hesitated.

Because he hadn’t seen her like this in years.

Not in a suit, not in carefully composed control, but like she used to be—a fighter. A strategist. Someone who thrived in the kind of battle most people ran from.

And then, as if sensing his presence, she spoke without looking at him.

"If you’re here to start another fight, Hale," she murmured, "you’re going to have to wait your turn."

Dominic smirked, stepping inside fully.

"Who said I was here to fight?"

Elena finally turned, gray eyes sharp, assessing.

"Aren’t you?"

Dominic shrugged. "Depends."

Elena smirked, tilting her head.

"On?"

Dominic stepped onto the mat, rolling his shoulders.

"Whether you can still keep up."

A flicker of something passed through Elena’s eyes.

Something dangerous.

Something familiar.

Then—she stepped forward, slow, deliberate.

And with the kind of calm, lethal certainty only someone like her could pull off—she threw the first punch.

Zayn, Liam, and James stood outside the glass wall of the training bay, watching in mild disbelief.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Liam muttered.

Zayn smirked. "That’s one way to deal with tension."

James sipped his coffee. "This is better than television."

Damon and Seraphina arrived moments later, stopping short when they saw what was happening.

Seraphina sighed. "They’re fighting?"

Liam grinned. "Oh yeah. It’s like watching two war gods try to murder each other."

Seraphina pinched the bridge of her nose. "We work with children."

Damon, arms crossed, just smirked.

"They need this," he murmured.

Seraphina shot him a look.

Damon shrugged. "Better to get it out of their systems now."

Seraphina sighed, shaking her head.

Because, honestly?

He wasn’t wrong.

And as the fight escalated inside—**as old tension turned into something neither of them were willing to name—**one thing was obvious.

This wasn’t just a sparring match.

This was a war that had been waiting to happen.

And everyone?

Everyone was watching to see how it would end.