POV: Aurora
I knew the moment I smiled: there was no turning back.
"Yes," I say. "I want to answer."
My voice sounds steadier than I expected. Inside, I'm a millimeter away from trembling, but no one here needs to know that.
The vampire at the head of the table nods politely.
"Go ahead, Miss Vega."
I breathe.
Good. I'm not alone. Now I'll speak.
"First of all," I say, "I'm not 'the Vega case'. I'm Aurora Vega. If we're going to talk about me, use my full name. I'm not a textbook clinical example."
A couple of eyebrows rise. Nadia doesn't blink, very professional. Ignacio pretends to take notes.
"Second," I continue. "I have been described as 'hypervigilant,' 'prone to fantasy,' 'easily influenced in contexts of dominant authority. ' All of that appears in that draft.
I point to the screen. I'm not shaking.
