Us
LAURA’S POV
I sat on the stone bench at the far end of the garden, the folder lying open beside me like a crime scene. The pages fluttered in the wind, dancing with the ghosts of everything I had once believed.
I didn’t cry anymore.
I had shed my last tear for Elijah Reed the moment he looked me in the eye and didn’t deny it.
Now… I was hollow.
Hollow, but determined.
I pressed my fingers to my lips, remembering the way he used to kiss me like I was the only thing that kept him breathing. Had it all been a lie? A calculated act to keep his puppet from cutting the strings?
The scent of blooming roses filled the night air, mocking me. Even nature had the audacity to bloom when I was breaking.
I stood and brushed the hem of my dress, then picked up the folder with careful fingers
