ena

the time I was done, Hardin and Carina were long gone. I had to take a taxi back to

he annual Morrison Dynamics Innovators Conference was that evening. "It's the bi

it was where he would officially in

I arrived at the grand convention center, I saw Hardin waiting by the entrance, l

ront of me, blocking my path. "Ma'am,

, confused. "I'm with him.

isting his lips. "Yeah, right. Do you know how many wome

' s view of me. He couldn

ce rising in panic. "Just

ankle twisting, and fell to the pavement. A sharp pain shot

my eyes. I fumbled for my phone to call

f stale mop water and disinfectant. It soaked my hair, my dress, my skin, leaving

bow flared as the dirty wat

g. Their murmurs were a chorus of judgment, their pitying looks like

ole body trembled with a mixture of rage and utter helples

ng out, Carina clinging to his ar

cried out, m

ped. He

disturbance. This woman was trying to crash the event, claiming she was with you

ress, the filth on my skin, the raw scrape on my elbow. There was no r

," he said, his voic

rned and w

sounds of the city fading into a dull roar. "Hardin," I

rn, blocked his view of me, tugging on his arm. "Darling, we'll be late for the ke

s voice muffled. He didn't look ba

inside me died, leaving

he other yanked me to my feet by my hair. The pain was excruciating. The

ed out a taser.

I whimpere

sed, every muscle seizing at once. I collapsed to the ground, m

n fire. I tried to shield my injured w

against my forearm, just above the d

echo from a time that felt like another life. "I' ll protect thi

The phantom promise shattered, and the pain in my heart was a dull, h

prison. Each memory, once a source of comfort, now fell like a

ing face swam in and out of focus. Hi

reprieve. The last thing I felt before I blacked out