The room felt smaller.
Ash’s screams threaded through my memory.
She was right.
I met her gaze.
“Show me,” I said evenly. “Prove he’s alive. Stop hurting him. Then we’ll discuss terms.”
Georgina smiled slowly. “I knew I could count on you.”
Of course you did.
I was already mapping exits. Guard rotations. Leverage points.
Ash first.
Seph never.
She would walk into this trap without hesitation.
And that could not happen.
Chapter 28
Seph
I wandered the halls long after everyone else had gone to bed. Sleep had abandoned me hours ago, and the silence in the compound only made Ash’s absence feel louder.
When I ran into Jess, it was almost welcome.
She saw me and stopped short.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I smiled too quickly. “I’m fine.”
She squinted at me. “Right. Because you look like shit.”
“Thank you for that.”
“I’m serious, Seph. Come crash in my room. I won’t even throw anything at you if you snore.”
“I don’t snore.”
“You breathe aggressively.”
Despite myself, I huffed a laugh.
“I’ll just walk,” I said. “Clear my head.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. But thank you, Jess. How is living with my sister?”
The effect was instantaneous. Jess lit up.
“Sable’s amazing. She’s been showing me everything.”
