career chasing power, precis

truth. He set up an early

or hours, the atmosphere thick

through logs, timestamps,

the evide

eturned. The accusations again

i

Ro

ling

ter everyone else had gone,

of her coat. And when she fin

pulse heavy, his min

was

ment where ever

oberts, the IT specialists, th

nodded in

ng wasn

d

e to confr

o room for

voice steady but sharp. Pull

e touched, every request s

nodded, al

jaw tightening as

d been

had bee

t

g to make sure R

pain she never thought

osing her job. It was

eputa

dig

ust in

he let t

ed after that night, after the

how could he just discard

t just been empty words,

hate

ht was un

ving survived her father's cru

only for it all to vanis

Ro

depth of the woman's hatred.

why had Rose gone

s too

her, begged her to eat, plea

as crumbling, the weight of h

gettin

she wasn't sure sh

ery morning, she placed a tr

ifferent. Hoping today,

bitterness in her chest

just as the sun dipped below t

berate. Maria looked at Ann

she wiped her hands on he

lv

ugh the room, and for the first

nt through her frail body, but

ntion, not after

s low, hesitant.

s, standing her groun

five minutes

le

ly, Maria s

rced herself to sit up, even

oked at him not with longing,

u

e said, her voice ba

vin did

rway, his heart sinking at the

woman who had carved her plac

w of herself. Her eyes, once f

ntless tears. He had done this

. Through h

he took hesitant steps forward

umped on the edge of the bed,

as the only thing k

rd, forcing the wor

shallow, broken breaths. She d

o

should have He clenched his fi

uffoc

gth to continue, his voice was

yo

ad tilted slightly, but sti

the company laptop, he contin

s... They tell the whole s

first time in days, something sh

ker of

to reassure her, to undo the

ated. The t

ed gasp, and suddenly the dam

weighed her down, came rushi

inst her face, shaking violentl

ide

fore her, his own eyes wet. He

r felt s

e finally spoke, was

Rose. It was about everything.

he had to e

e to answer. But one thing was