By the time Rose showed me to my room, exhaustion weighed me down like a boulder. After the tension of the meeting, her bubbly chatter was oddly comforting, even if I barely had the energy to respond.

"You’ll be safe here," she said with a reassuring smile. "Just try to keep a low profile for now, okay? And let me know if you need anything."

I nodded, murmuring a quiet thank you as she left.

The moment the door shut, I collapsed onto the bed, letting out a long breath. But before I ...