tears fell freely.
It was true: She had been the one to initiate things, to draw him in.
But if Ezra had been truly capable of resisting temptation, how could she have won him over so easily in just a week?
He had been the one who pushed, demanding more, telling her that being with her every night would never grow tiresome.
He had given her the confidence she needed, fueling her delusions of grandeur.
The man who seemed so deeply affectionate was, in truth, the most heartless one of them all.
At the research institute, today was one of the rare occasions they could contact the outside world.
The project required five years of isolation, but the people in charge were concerned that the research members might face mental issues if kept away from the real world for too long.
Once every quarter, they were allowed to call their families to check in and watch a bit of TV to simply unwind with some light
entertainment.
+15 BONUS
However, both their calls and their TV viewing were tightly monitored.
Shermaine couldn’t wait to dial her parents‘ number.
Hearing the familiar voices on the other end of the line, she let out a sigh of relief, her nose tingling with emotion.
“Mom, Dad, are you both okay? I miss you so much.”
Vanessa Stout chuckled softly. “Thad a little issue a few days ago, but it’s all good now. You need to take care of yourself over
there. You’re all alone, so make sure you make some friends.”
Isaiah’s voice followed, filled with his usual care. “Right, keep warm when it’s chilly and make sure you’re eating. Don’t skip
meals just because you’re busy…”
The two of them were in perfect syne, carefully avoiding any mention of Ezra.
But even without them saying it, Shermaine could guess.
She hesitated, guilt bubbling up, and nervously bit her lip. “Mom, Dad… he hasn’t caused any trouble for you, has he?”
There was a brief silence on the other end before Isaiah spoke, his tone tinged with sarcasm, “Don’t worry. He’s too busy pretending to be a good man to bother us. Just focus on yourself. Don’t worry about us.”
Just then, the television behind Shermaine came to life.
“Shermaine, maybe you’ll see this press conference today. I just want to say, I was wrong…”
That voice. That name. For a moment, Shermaine froze.
And when she came to her senses, she realized the call had ended.
She turned around. Her eyes widened as she saw Ezra on the TV screen.
