My feet hit the ground, but I barely felt it. My body felt light. Strange. My legs were shaking.
Dead.
Mia was dead.
The same girl who smirked at me with venom in her eyes not even thirty minutes ago. The one who told them to "enjoy" me. The one who betrayed me. She was dead. Just like that.
A truck.
It didn't make sense.
"It's my fault." My lips moved before I realized I was speaking.
"If I hadn't walked into that damn office… If I'd just let them fire me… maybe…"
Kael reached for me again. I stepped back, but my knees buckled slightly and he caught me anyway. His arms came around me again, stronger this time—protective and sure.
"Don't do this," he murmured against my ear. "Don't blame yourself. Not for her."
"But I—" My voice cracked, thick with something raw I didn't understand.
"She made her choice," he said, firm but still gentle. "You're not responsible for that."
I wanted to believe him.
But my body wasn't listening.
