The conversation ended with no desirable result. Instead of giving her closure, it left Wynter more confused than ever. She came to meet Derrick hoping to get clarity—hoping that maybe, just maybe, she could stitch together the torn pieces Elle left behind. But now? Now she was just holding a bomb, and it had already gone off.
Elle had lied to her.
She lied about Derrick being her brother. Lied about the contract and Gold Partners. Lied about Wanda. And who knows what else? Every word, every story, every vulnerable confession they'd shared over the years—were they all fake?
Were the things Elle told her about herself also lies? Was any of it real? What was the truth?
Wynter stood there, paralyzed in disbelief. Her mind refused to cooperate. It felt like her thoughts were trapped in molasses, thick and sluggish and impossible to organize. She was caught in a mental stupor, staring at nothing, stuck in a daze.
She only broke free when Keith touched her shoulder.
