The Weight of Innocence

d not

cutting into her wrists, blood on her face, fire creeping closer. I kept replaying the sam

my mind. Five years for murder.

I gave up. I made coff

simple. Anastas

instantly. Headlines tha

victed in Boy

under Gets 20 Y

lty Verdict Shoc

r version of her. Polished, confident, standing in front of a sleek office b

rojected valuation. Then Marcus Chen, her boyfriend, was found dead in Vincent Hale's office w

h

st anyone

what she

rtight. But her defense insisted she had been framed. They claimed Marcus had un

t cared. Guilty

d serv

ow eyes. Sunken cheeks. She looked like someone who

e of LuxeConnect. Investors gone. St

. The kind of man who hid knives behind handshakes. A glossy pho

ee Hale silencing him. And framing someone else. But w

ers. She talked about LuxeConne

ful without compromising your values," she had s

rony

Dawn was creeping

t her to die. Innocent or guilty, she had not deserved that. And if she re

omeone sur

e Morris. Guarded. Braced for judgment. Like s

rang. I

morning. Unk

ered.

from Memorial Hospital. About Anastasia Ub

I let it go. "I

, but she has nowhere to go. She gave u

thing. Someone was trying

here in an h

you, Mr

knew her. She had enemies. A past ful

se hollow eyes. And Linda's words. She

hink. I was a

the nurse was finishing

ith your primary care doctor

e one," Anast

l this number to find

t have i

ere are community clini

. Than

w me. Her face did not chang

led you,"

es

ot ask t

kno

wly, wincing.

he

our pr

stas

my life. I am grateful. But this is where it

e late f

an still w

an

e, searching

are," I said.

"Then you know you

ne tried to kill you two nights ago.

talks t

res abo

es not

I know you did not

ot know a

tell

play the hero? I do no

needs help

gers who think

ad never lost everything. Never gone to

"I do not understand. B

t want y

will

le

y? A place to sta

th

ther is older now. He needs help around the hous

offering

es

care

es

rmth. "So you think you can fix the

safety. And I thin

t a char

charity.

sharpened. "Wh

ed for t

ght try again. You are about to walk out of her

our pr

am choosing to m

ll regr

oba

ulating. Pride h

de

k you, but no. I will

stas

with her things. "I appreciate what you d

mped p

ispered in my mind. You cannot save ev

warehouse. Do not trust anyone named Chen. S

lowed

the elevator

let me d

l take

what m

on harder than neces

he walked in. I ste

to leave me alone,

N

ubb

ave no

. At the ground floor she heade

ly and gave the driver an addr

That should have been the end. Her

at me. A quiet alarm

Started the engine

dows. Two cars behind the c

low

Maybe a coinciden

d left. The S

raight. The SUV

coinci

s followin

did no