The reporters surged forward, shouting over one another. They wouldn't stop.
“You’re Alex, right? The man in the video?”
“Why did you slap Majeek? Was it revenge?”
“Tell us the truth”
Alex didn’t answer. His jaw tightened. He grabbed Kate by the shoulder, used one arm to shove through the crowd. The wall of cameras and microphones broke as he forced a path.
He opened the car door, guided Kate inside, and slammed it shut. Reporters kept shouting, hammering the windows with questions, but he started the engine without a glance back. The car screeched out of the crowd.
Inside, the noise faded. Kate’s breath came shaky and uneven. She wiped her face, trying to steady herself. Then her voice cracked.
“Alex… tell me the truth.”
He glanced at her. “What truth?”
“Did you—” she hesitated,
