Elizabeth POV
“What are you doing here, Sam?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but the sight of him standing at Grandma’s porch made my chest tighten. The one face I thought I could trust… and now, even that wasn’t safe.
“I saw the news,” he said, like that excused everything. His eyes searched mine, almost pleading.
“The news,” I repeated, bitterness coating every word, “the news you helped reveal.”
His jaw slackened, the flicker of guilt on his face giving him away before the words did. “You… found out.”
“Yes, Sam.” My voice cracked, but I forced myself to meet his gaze. “I did. God, I thought out of everyone in this world, you. I thought I could trust you. You were my brother.”
“I did it to protect you, Elizabeth!” he burst out, running a hand through his hair like he wa
