Chapter 0310

But of course Kent would have taken it away, because Ivan was his enemy in more ways than one. But I — I hid it, so I could

keep it...

Even though lIvan...was playing me too.

“Fay!” Daniel snaps. “What is he talking about!”

And slowly I push myself away from the wall and stand up straight. lvan doesn’t stop me as I move to my bed, doesn’t even point

the gun at me as I pull the headboard forward and pull out, from behind it, the formal jacket that Ivan gave me that night when I

was cold.

That I slept in, thinking it was going to give me peace.

That I tucked back there and forgot about.

That has...completely ruined all of our lives.

“Everyone at the NYPD has really been enjoying listening to all of your conversations, Fay,” lvan says, nasty, as the tears slip

down my face. “You’ve been very popular,” he sneers, “especially every morning, when you come back upstairs and fill Daniel in

on how his dad fucked you —*

“Shut the fuck up,” Daniel snaps with a snarl.

“You shut the fuck up!” Ivan shouts, losing his temper again and taking a long step towards Daniel now, the gun redirected back

at his face.

“Leave her alone! You jealous asshole, you're just bitter that -”

“STOP!” I shout, my whole body shaking, hurling the jacket to the floor in anger and despair. “Everyone just shut the hell up!”

And then, my teeth gritted, I glare at lvan with as much pride as I can muster. Which is not much.

“If you're going to arrest us, arrest us,” I say. “We are done talking.”

And then I cross my hands over my chest and turn my face away from him, pressing my eyes shut, determined not to say

another word.

Daniel and Jerome apparently follow suit because silence reigns in the room for a long moment. And in that long moment, I

realize that the shooting has stopped downstairs. That whatever was done is...done.

After a second I hear Ivan click his radio on again, telling the men downstairs to check the passage that I told him about. Some

response comes but, again, I can’t hear it well enough to understand.

And then we're all silent for a long, long time before we start to hear the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. I open my eyes

when the steps approach the threshold and see lvan moving towards my door, twisting the lock and pulling it open.

“In here,” Ivan murmurs, stepping back so more police can come in the room.

I stand perfectly still as cops move roughly past me, sweeping the room and the bathroom to make sure there are no threats

here. But there’s no worry about that. When they finish, two cops lift Jerome off the floor, setting him on his feet and leading him

from the room in silence. Then, another — an older man who looks less mussed than everyone else — addresses Daniel and I.

“If you’d come down to the station, Mr. Lippert, Miss. Alden,” he says, his voice even, “we'd like to ask you some questions.”

“I need to call our lawyer,” Daniel murmurs, lowering his hands to his side.

“That's fine,” the man says, noddin

to him as a cop take Hoe

guidaShim away. Then,

the man turns to me. Please read the

original content at .

“Miss. Alden?”

“Fine,” I sigh, walking towards

bedroom door with my es

floor. Som eone orice sin e ue as

far aang to guide me, and when I

look up I’m shocked to see that it’s

Ivan. Please read the original content

at .

I immediately sneer and pull my arm out of his hand, moving quickly away.

“Miss,” The older cop says, his voice low with warning, and I snap my gaze immediately to him.

“Not him,” I say, jerking my chin in Ivan’s direction. “I’m not going with him.”

The cop looks at me evenly for a moment before nodding. “All right,” he says, offering his hand. “I'll take you myself.”

I lift my chin as high as I can —

admittedly, not very ak seit

today, an nd walk towtaeas th é Cop.

Wiend ge close enough, he gently

takes my arm, and together we walk

down the stairs. Please read the

original content at .

Ivan follows slowly behind.