CLAUDE.
I shouldn’t have followed her.
That thought kept repeating in my head as I moved silently down the east wing corridor, keeping my footsteps light. I had seen the way Elaine positioned herself in the doorway during Killian and Candice’s argument — perfectly still, perfectly angled, like a predator savoring the exact moment its prey started bleeding. Something about the calm satisfaction on her face had sent ice straight down my spine.
So I followed.
The voices grew louder as I approached. Killian’s deep, furious roar mixed with Candice’s sharp, breaking replies. The pain between them was so raw it felt like the air itself was cracking.
I stopped just out of sight, heart hammering, and peered around the corner.
Elaine stood in the shadowed doorway like she belonged there. One s
