"Foreman," Ste said, her voice cool, "this is hardly the first time you''ve lied to me."


    Foreman heard the unspoken usation in her words. He had no right to point a finger at Joshua.


    In an instant, all his arguments vanished. The color drained from his face.


    He had brought Rachel to Haynes precisely because he knew Ste would never trust him again, even if, for once, he was telling the truth.


    Haynes nced at Foreman before turning to Ste. "Star, Rachel is in the room. Let''s go see her."


    Ignoring Foremanpletely, Ste followed Haynes into Rachel''s room.


    Bright sunlight streamed through the clean windowpanes, casting a warm golden glow across the floor. Rachel was sitting up in bed, propped against the headboard, staring nkly out the window.


    Her face, once delicate and pretty, was now a web of thick, twisted scars. If Ste hadn''t known who she was looking at, she would never have recognized the woman as Rachel.


    At the sound of the door opening, Rachel turned her head. A flicker of genuine delight lit up her eyes when she saw Haynes. "Haynie, you finally came to see me..."


    But when her gaze fell on Ste and Joshua, the delight morphed into raw terror. She instinctively curled into a ball. "Don''t hit me! Please, don''t hit me again! I... I''II never pretend to be the woman he can''t forget again! I swear!"


    Simone''s beatings had clearly left her with a severe stress response. It wasn''t just seeing Joshua; even the mention of his name triggered a wave of fear.


    Ste frowned and looked at Haynes. "She''spletely unhinged. Are you sure anything she says is credible?"


    Haynes met her gaze steadily. "I had her polygraphed. I even brought in the best professional interrogators Both the machine and the experts concluded she''s not lying. I know this is hard for you to believe you might ever suspect I manipted her somehow. That''s why I''m willing to hand her over to you."


    The expressions on both Foreman''s and Rachel''s faces changed dramatically at his words.


    "Haynie, if you give her to them, she could be silenced for good!" Foreman protested urgently.


    Rachel tumbled from the bed in a panic. "Haynie, don''t hand me over! Please! I won''t lie anymore! I''ll tell you everything, whatever you want to know! I''m begging you, don''t give me to anyone else!"


    Without waiting for anyone to ask, the words came spilling out of her like a flood, recounting the entire story. It matched what Haynes had told Ste, with little variation.


    Ste listened with a nk face, her expression unreadable, showing no ripple of emotion.


    Haynes looked at her. "Do you still not believe it?"


    Ste didn''t answer directly, her eyes fixed on the trembling woman at her feet. "In


    her current state, how can anything she says be trusted?"


    Haynes wasn''t surprised. Ste had always ced immense faith in those she cared about, just as she once had with him and Foreman.. But once that trust was shattered, She never gave it again so easily.


    "Star, I know it''s hard to believe Rachel," Haynes said. "So if you won''t believe her, why not ask- Joshua? Rachel''s words might be unreliable, but what about his Surely you still trust him, don''t you?"