AUTHOR’S POV
Marina paused as she stepped out of the elevator, her hand braced against the wall, before wiping at her cheeks and forcing the tears back; she suddenly felt beyond exhausted. Her body ached with it, with everything.
How had their lives gone from normal, happy… to this?
Just hours ago, they had been talking about Christmas. About being together, about laughter and warmth and family, about being complete. And now everything felt broken beyond recognition.
She turned toward her suite first. If the girls saw her like this, with blood on her clothes and eyes red and swollen, they would ask questions she didn’t yet know how to answer.
Inside her bedroom, she changed quickly and wiped the blood from her skin, scrubbing until the water ran clear. She then stepped back into the
