Chapter Nine

#votar# This chapter was a tough one to write. Each character is standing at the edge of something — truth, discovery, collapse. Cassian is putting the pieces together. Linda is trying to hold the lie in place. And Rhea… Rhea feels the weight of everything she’s lost — and everything she still stands to lose. It’s a moment of held breath. Of glances that speak louder than words. Of old wounds starting to ache again. If you felt that tightness in your chest — if you wanted to s****m at Rhea to run, or beg Cassian to see the truth — then I did my job right. The story is about to shift. Thank you for staying with me. What comes next might just wreck you. With love, ✨ MARALTO