n's

neve

se of the

my name erased, my future boxed in

eator, my greatest mistake, had made it clear he w

se every time I closed

cr

scre

ht, lips pressed together, pain folded so neatly in

what ha

o the sky, I was pacing like a

tension. Outside, the city moved on,

e rather than rest. One leg hung off the armrest. His hair stuck up in impossible di

llow and threw

into the cushion. "If that's not br

s no

erate on a hi

and turned bac

the entire n

wn, clinical, cold, but the messy truth beneath it. The pieces Lu

went, the tighter

dn't just

een sur

ords should've existed. A pattern of changing hospitals, do

asn't

as e

hiding some

ng from somet

hought those ga

broke through

sharply, snapping

u look like a man about t

mig

loor, sniffed it, grimaced, then pulled it on anyway.

sita

loud meant admitting

ntrol Juliet," I said finally

wice. "Okay. I need contex

tol

he medical files. The threats. The account freeze. The board removal. The way Do

forward, elbows on his knees,

he said

ha

ought we were talking damage c

ying to ove

inks y

th lande

tart this,"

e ever

nto my skull. "I need to find Juliet today. I have t

with you," Luca

N

happe

n't your

o emotional warfare at three a.m. You don't ge

ched m

that he

too raw

my keys. "

SEA

didn't

my t

my c

tely regretted because I sounded lik

one wa

building refus

e said she c

door c

answer

ct screaming

ve for

jokes, worse singing, commentary on traffic, pointin

ped. B

at passed tightened som

ircled back to h

en I s

er her head. Hands hidden inside her sleeves. Starin

rt stu

urmured. "I'

't hes

UL

k at me when I

Guarded. Like she wa

" I said

arply. "I don'

I said.

suddenly. "I f

opped. "Figur

with anger, but with hurt shar

r is trying

e it

'd been rac

I whispered. "

"The first moment he touched my reco

ing to pro

voice cracking. "Because now

than anything D

s," I said, st

epping back. "Don't promis

let him h

said quietly. "By bring

fell bet

" she said. "I can survive pain

e walk

runn

cr

wal

d already

r she disappeared, fist

ched slowly

part of this,"

terri

he terrif

inside m

using against her," I said softly. "Ev

wed. "That

kno

d lose ev

ready

what

he empty street wh

angerous, "I pull every thread

eep inside, som

wasn'

sn't ob

was

me what happens when you threaten