Roble

e, erupted into a cacophony of whispers and camera flashes. The hotel lobby buzzed with guests, their phones poin

! I heard

one j

a fight! A l

ne in white, she w

froze. Her carefully constructed facade cracked. H

crowd pointed at me. "The mistr

clutched Dexter's arm, her eyes wide with panic. "El

whispers grew louder. "Isn't she that counselor fr

ood. Abusive stepfather, severe

bit off, trying too

e boy who'd once told me, "If you ever need me,

e. "Just say you weren't feeling well, Ella. Say you copied my notes by accident. My parents wil

I tried to say, my voice we

d, his voice booming over the crowd, "is Ella Robles. She's been a client at our foundation's crisis c

My past, my illness, everything I had fought to overcome. He

ts. "Your past won't define you, Ella. I'll always be here for you." Now, those words, once

or me turned to disgust. "Unstable?

help, not

dange

bottle. It glanced off my shoulder. Barbara, seeing the projec

A searing pain shot through my head. Warm blood trickled down my ch

ng on the grand marble staircase. I tumbled down, hitting each step with sickeni

he top of the stairs, watching. Dexter hesitated, a flicker of something, guilt perhaps,

ast thing I felt was the burning pain in