Chapter 5

The office door swung open, and Bennett walked in.

When he saw me standing there, his face shifted in an instant. For a split second, I caught a flash of panic in his eyes before he pulled his usual cold mask back into place.

"Why are you back? Weren't you supposed to be in Vertex?" he asked.

I looked at him, and a laugh escaped my lips. But as I laughed, tears began to spill down my cheeks, and I could not stop them.

"Bennett," I said, my words slow and deliberate, "if I hadn't come back early, would I…