Chapter 5

The room smelled of spoiled food, sweat, and decay. He drifted in and out of sleep, sometimes lying awake in the dark, staring emptily at the mold spots on the ceiling. Ariana bombarded me with countless calls daily, weeping, pleading, cursing the slanderers, then ordering me to keep an eye on Robert.

"He takes things to heart. He can't handle this. Eva, I'm begging you. Don't let him do anything stupid. Hailey was definitely framed. Once the truth comes out, everything will be fine. Robert will understand."

The truth?

I held the phone slightly away, listening to Ariana's tearful, unwavering…