*Selena*
I stood there frozen, my heart racing as Avery's words sliced through the fragile cocoon of grief that had enveloped me since Lola's tragic death. The wounds of her loss were still raw, the pain a relentless ache that gripped my chest.
"No!" The word tore out of me as my voice quivered with a mixture of shock and defiance.
"Yes! Yes, you are the murderer," Avery spat the words out with a fiery vehemence.
My trembling lips parted, ready to defend myself against the accusations that had blindsided me.
"She didn't kill Lola," the deep resonance of Zander's voice rolled out like thunder amidst a storm. He stepped forward, standing beside me.
I turned my tear-filled eyes toward him, a mixture of astonishment and shock dancing in their depths. Why would he stand by me?
"How...
