CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"Speak," Ryan concedes with a nod.
Gina's voice is low, each word deliberate. "We judge hastily. Lily's actions—"
"Betrayal!" someone interrupts, but Gina holds up a hand, silencing them.
"Her actions brought Jake back, turned the tide. She fought for us." Gina’s eyes never leave mine. There’s an intensity there that I can’t quite place. It’s fierce, protective... and something more.
"Consider this," she continues, "without her, would we have triumphed?" Murmurs ripple through the crowd.
"Her heart may stray," Gina says, "but her loyalty? Unquestioned."
Her words hang in the smoke-laden air, and I feel the weight of every gaze upon me. There are nods, reluctant agreements whispered among the ranks. Hope flares within me, a delicate flame vulnerable to the night'
