life into a before and an after. She stared at the screen, her heart pounding against her ribs. She

loe urged, her voice a little

ed. The numbers loaded, stark an

Score:

ate nights, the endless practice tests, the pressure to prove she was worthy of th

loe pressed, leaning so close Ava co

out a sharp gasp. She had already p

en, her eyes wide with disbelief. Then, her expression curdled. The initial shock was

d, her voice flat. "You

e together. She had wanted this achievement to be something that brought them closer, a sign t

softly, trying to bridge the gap. "Your

lip trembling. It was a performance Ava had seen many times, a carefully orche

as if Ava had physically struck her. "You did

Ava protested, reaching for

sound of Chloe' s crying. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and his face,

his gaze falling on Ava with immediate suspicion. He wen

hloe cried into his chest. "She knew how mu

, ugly and baseless. Ava felt

shaking with a mixture of anger and hur

n hardened into a mask of cold fury. He didn' t question Chloe' s accusation for a second. In his

rous. "We took you in, gave you everything. And this is how you repay us? B

Ava pleaded. "I just wanted to

. You come from nothing, and you suddenly get a perfect score? While Chloe, who

success into a crime. Every word was a deliberate

" Liam continued, his voice void of any war

' s arm, his g

doing?" she cried ou

e said, dragging her out of the room. Chloe watc

ar began to bubble inside Ava, a terror that had nothing to do with Liam' s anger. It was a dark

re we going?" she begg

their neighborhood behind. They pulled up to a rundown building on the industrial outskirts of town.

blood running cold. She remembered teeth, snapping and snarling. The pain. Th

haking her head. "Liam,

ng by the door was Ethan Hayes. Ethan, her childhood friend, the one person fro

e was not friendly. It

hoked out, reaching for h

his voice flat. "Chloe is heartbroken. You needed to be taught a lesson.

than, who had once defended her from bullies, was now one of them. He had tak

made," Liam said, shoving her toward the shelter' s back entrance. A

lled with dogs of all shapes and sizes. Some were whining, but others were th

t the far end of the building. It was empty, save for a

body shaking uncontrollably. "I' m sorry. I' m s

ght she saw a flicker of doubt, but it was gone as

nager, a grim-faced man who had

Liam commanded, his voice echoing in the concrete room. "I wa

eavy metal door slammed shut, the sound of the lock clicking into place sealing Ava' s fate. She was left