JASMINE
My body still ached fiercely from Henry's brutal attack. Every breath pulled at my bruised ribs, sending small pain across my chest.
The split on my lip stung every time I moved my mouth, and the dark, ugly bruise spreading across my stomach throbbed in time with my heartbeat. Yet the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the violent storm raging inside my head.
I sat cross-legged on the large bed in our bedroom, balancing Stephan's laptop carefully on my thighs.
Stephan had left earlier to check on Jaden, and to make urgent calls regarding Henry's custody and arrest.
Before leaving, he had given me strict instructions to rest and take it easy. But rest felt completely impossible. My mind refused to stay still.
The System in my head had been glitching more frequently lately, feeding me half-truths, strange errors, and cryptic warnings about someone called "the writer."
I needed real answers, not mysterious riddles.
