The silence in the room was unbearable. Heavy, suffocating, like every second that passed was squeezing the air out of my lungs. I could feel both of them watching me, waiting, but my chest tightened until I thought it might crack.
I forced the words out.
"According to my research… someone actually found her that night. She didn't die there. She made it to the hospital."
Dominic's head snapped toward me. Ian froze.
My throat burned, but I kept going. "The report says she was… sexually assaulted. Brutally. And not by one guy. It was a group."
Ian's face drained in an instant. He staggered back against the counter.
Dominic's eyes widened, his breath faltered.
"What are you saying?" Ian whispered.
Dominic shook his head violently. "No. Ash, no. We didn't…God, we didn't." His voice broke.
"I know." I cut in quickly. My eyes locked with his. "I trust you. Both of you. You don't have to convince me."
The relief in their faces was fleeting.
