om. Her phone buzzed on the coff

a: Boutique Altercat

na turning her back on a crying Evie and storming out. There was no audio, but the vis

ch. Evie was building a narrative, piece by piece. If Elana s

p. She grab

the driver bring the car around. I

Mr. Sterling is there with Miss

Her voice left n

window, organizing her thoughts. She couldn't fight Evie with emot

bleach and sterile alcohol. Elana's heels clicked sharply a

olph's roo

llowed quickly by judgment. The internet rumors had already rea

stopped outside Room 312. Through

ide of her face. An IV dripped fluids into her hand. Atlas sat in a chair beside

t looked like a husba

r open. It hit the w

e vanished instantly, replaced by a rigid, defen

emanded. His voice was low, mindful of the

, pulling the blanket up to her chin

round him and stood at the foot o

nd terrifyingly clear. "I am giving you one chanc

lled up in her eyes. "Elana, please... haven't

them. He grabbed Elana

ip. She didn't look at him. She ke

ust enough to fill the room, "if I truly assaulted y

e only sound was the rhythmic

for a fraction of a second

and tossed it onto the hospital bed. It landed near Evie's hands. "Dial 911. Rep

y what a forensic exam would find. They would measure the depth and an

" Evie stammered, her voice losing its theatrical

lana fired back. "I care about the trut

He saw the way her fingers twitched away from the phone

as said, but his voice lacked the abs

. She leaned over the bed, getting inches from

Atlas, her eyes pleading. "Atlas, ma

card because it was th

Then he looked at Elana. He picked up

was still there, but the a

e doubt in his eyes. It wasn't a vict

door. She stopped with her hand on the h

you are going to realize you spent yo

alked

leaned against the wall near the ele

. It'

the video. A

ce tight. "A laceration on the cheek. Clean edg

skin. They leave jagged, irregular edges. A clean edge

d her eyes.

t matter if he refused to see it. She walked out into the cold Manhattan night, her hands sh