Elizabeth’s POV
The flash drive sat on my desk like it had a pulse, its black plastic shell staring at me as though it knew the storm it contained. My laptop was open, waiting, but my hand hovered above the keyboard, frozen.
I wanted to see what was inside. I wanted to know every dirty secret Jennifer had whispered, every lie she’d typed. But another part of me, the part that had been burned by Ethan, scarred by betrayal, and bruised by manipulation hesitated.
Once I opened it, there was no going back.
Sebastian leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his sharp gaze softened by concern. Daniel slouched in the chair opposite me, flipping a coin between his fingers, the metallic clink a steady rhythm in the tense silence.
“You don’t have to rush this,” Sebastian said gently. “Jennif
