CHAPTER 71
The immediate aftermath of her desperate confession—”I liked it”—hung heavy in the stale motel air. Ryle stood motionless, his expression unreadable, and Lauren knew instantly, with a crushing certainty, that she had handed him the final, most devastating piece of evidence against her. She had exposed not just her body, but her heart, and he had registered it as a critical operational flaw.
Her composure shattered.
She spun away from him, turning toward the messy bed where her remaining clothes lay. She did not look at Ryle again. She snatched her underwear and jeans, her hands shaking violently.
As she pulled the cold fabric over her hips, the tears came—silent, hot tracks of moisture streaming down her cheeks, a complete betrayal of the strong facade she had desperately tr
