ZARIA'S POVThe suffocating silence of the corridor shattered as a pair of sharp, hurried footsteps came clicking around the far corner."Zaria? Oh my God, there you are!" Maya’s voice boomed down the hallway, laced with frantic energy. "What is taking you so—"Behind the heavy velvet curtains, a sharp, collective gasp cut through the dark alcove. The silhouettes scrambled.Before I could breathe, before a single sound could leave my frozen throat, the heavy drapes parted. Cynthia stepped out into the dim hallway alone.My heart hammered violently against my ribs. I stared at her, my vision blurring at the edges, waiting for the guilt, the panic, the shame. But there was nothing. Her expression morphed seamlessly into a picture-perfect look of pure, sisterly concern. She adjusted the cuff of her sleeve, completely unbothered, her posture elegant and composed."Oh, thank goodness," Cynthia gasped, rushing toward me and clasping my frozen hands in hers. She put on a flawless act, comple
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