Lena
The woman stepped into the corridor.
And suddenly—
Everyone stopped moving.
The collapsing rink.
The gas leak.
The guns.
The lies.
For one brief moment, all of it faded into the background.
Because the look on Detective Adrian Cross's face said everything.
Shock.
Pure shock.
Not the kind a person fakes.
Not the kind someone prepares for.
Real shock.
The woman stood near the stairwell entrance with a pistol in one hand and a badge in the other.
Behind her came two uniformed officers.
Then another.
And another.
My pulse hammered.
Police.
Real police.
Not campus security.
Not investigators from years ago.
Actual police.
Cross stared at her.
"Claire..."
The name echoed softly.
The woman didn't smile.
Didn't lower her weapon.
Didn't blink.
Her eyes remained l
