crying hours ago. Now she just sat on the cold floor, her back against the concrete, her knees drawn up to her ches

said finally. "We can

But what can we do? He's destroyed everything.

s." She looked up at h

oice was flat and determined. "And as

ted since the collapse. The arrogant billionaire who'd spent three days trading barbs w

," she said. "Tell

ment. Then he moved to sit besid

rter and more ambitious." He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "He was suppos

happ

s. He ran the company into the ground before I was old enough to understand

ou sav

hing, from debt, from the wreckage he left

r hand finding his. "T

it that way. In his mind, I stole everything from

gave me for being better, for being stronger and for surviving when everything around

not responsible for your mother's choices. You're not responsible for Cipher's choices. You'r

e laughed. This time it was a real laugh, surprised and warm, and it transformed his f

-

oom's wall. Kennedy had built it himself, years ago,

the darkness. "I didn't." His voice echoed in the narrow space. "But I

ssage was narrow and damp, the walls rough with age. She could hear water dripping

zed her hand. "The passage leads to the caves belo

He glanced back at her. "But it's our only

moving. One foot in front of the other. She always remembered-Vences didn't break. Th

-

t rocks echoing through the chamber. Scarla could see the faint

nnedy said. "Just

nd bleeding. Her ribs screamed with every breath. Her ar

ranean stretched out before them, calm and endless and impossibly blue. Th

." Kennedy knelt beside her, his hand on her back. "We're safe. We're out." She looked at

rim. "But at least now we

to get help." Kennedy reached into his pocket, pulling out a sma

arned that lesson the hard way." She star

es

t you use

r eyes. "If I'd used it in the villa, Cipher woul

on't find

escape route to be invisible." She watched as he powered on the phone,

s." Scarla closed her eyes, letting herself hope for the first time. "

trand of hair from her face. "I told you, Scarla. I'm not going anywhere." She leaned into