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Frustration washes over me. All she wanted me to see is how strong she was. And I made the same choice everyone else always had, I decided for her, I chose what she could survive.

I fucked up. Lying to someone who has been lied to all her life isn’t a good idea. But it was never to hurt her. My stupid brain thought that I could protect her.

I drag my hand through my hair running it down my face. The sound of the door swinging open unexpectedly startles me first. Hayzel…?

My gaze runs over her face. I notice her tear-stained cheeks, the red stretched marks that look like angry handprints and her disheveled attire. My mind freezes even if my body instinctually knows what to do by gripping my weapon.

“HE’S WITH HER!” She whimpers. “Help..me… Please.”

Her?

I rise from my chair, and reach forward towards Hayzel but she grimaces and backs away. “Hey, it’s okay.” I say softly. “I won’t hurt you but, you need to tell me what the hell is going on.”

She shakes her head as if saying the words out loud hurt. “Mireya is still with him… C-Come quickly..” She finally replies without hesitating and I grab her wrist so she can keep up with my pace as I bound out of the door.

Something twists in my heart, as if worry took over my being and I’m only imagining the worst scenarios. Did someone break in while they were getting ready ? Because Hayzel is dressed up like she’s going out.

Was it this bastard, Ethan?

Speaking of him, Hayzel runs to his side, crying like he would understand but he’s just as confused.

“Ethan, it’s… h-he was insane and Mireya… she tried to protect me,” she screams as he’s trying to calm her down.

“Hey, calm down I’m fucking lost, Hayzel, what’s going on?” He asks, and then he sees me behind her. “Why the hell is Mr Caldwell here?”

I’m not even waiting for them to talk or move, I just walk over to their hallway. Something is off. The surveillance cameras I notice are not turned on. I don’t see the flickering red light. I don’t see anything.

Her door is open when I arrive, and I see Mireya on the fucking floor with blood trickling down her head and a broken lamp beside her.

For a second my brain refuses to process it. Then, I crouch down next to her, putting my hand behind her neck.

“Hey—”

She’s not replying and her eyes are still closed. I shift and lean closer to her, my fingers pressing lightly over her jaw, tilting her head enough for me to see her face entirely. I need to find the source. She has a head wound. Someone fucking hit her.

“Can you hear me, Mireya?”

No response. Hayzel and Ethan enter the room and I need them to leave now. I lower closer, not even thinking about space, or rules, or even Hayzel’s sobs.

She’s breathing.

“Open your eyes for me, Reya,” I say again as my hands check for any other injury. She has marks around her neck. Fingerprints. They strangled her.

“Hayzel, what happened?” I ask turning around to see her still sobbing. “Stop crying now and tell me what the fuck happened?”

“She just— she just wanted to protect me and he… he did that to her,” her voice is muffled and Ethan is trying to hold her against him. “Please tell me she’s okay.”

“Go get me some water and something clean. Clothes. Anything. I have something in my office that could help on the shelf. The red box. Bring it in.” I say as I gesture toward the door with my chin. “Bennett, don't let her go alone.”

He nods after a small moment of hesitation.

“Now.”

Movement. Finally.

I shift her slightly, supporting her head before it can roll back against the floor. Glass crunches under my boot but I ignore it. There’s blood along her temple, and those marks…It makes me want to— Calm down, Damien.

I press my sleeve there first, enough to slow down the bleeding.