Kaira's POV

We stepped out of the elevator at last. Inside, the silence felt tight and airless, as if the walls were pressing in. I could feel Damian’s gaze sharpening on me the whole time, heavy and impossible to ignore, but I forced myself to stay still. I kept my eyes down and my mouth shut. I did not trust myself to speak. One word and everything boiling inside me would burst out.

It was the same quiet shell I used to retreat into whenever I got bullied at home or when Tonia’s friends ...