ROME'S POVShe stiffened and I could almost see the gears in her head shift.Finally, she was grasping the reality of the situation. Her friend would start her life over like nothing had happened and no one mattered. Not even the person whose identity she had stolen.She practically declared everyone, the girls who'd been kidnapped, dead, and it was a clear indication that if there had been any plan to rescue the others, well, we could all see how that was going."You'll have a new identity as a family friend. A new name and..." I trailed off.She wasn't blinking, eyes open yet distracted. Talking was going to be a waste of time."I'll have the physician come in this week for your cardio," I muttered anyway.I could understand what she was drowning in; sorrow, disbelief, and eventually, reluctant acceptance.I'd been there before; the pool of negativity had become a familiar companion when I was a child and mother had died.It never left, ever-present before the sun rose in the sky and after the moon took its place.For years, the fear of not knowing what was going to happen in the next moment of my life was a heavy burden that plagued my thoughts until grandfather made it in life.The irony was now, even with all the wealth I had, that dark ally was still there. Someone was always ready to toss me out of the way and take my place, so the habit of looking over my shoulder remained.Fortunately, I'd managed to build some sort of defense with cold notoriety, money, and hard-earned respect.Grandfather's vile reputation had been the cherry on top.You've lived a sheltered life, she'd said. I shook my head, the corners of my lips curving upward.Looking her over again, I continued, "I'll have my assistant fill you in with the rest of the information you'll need. If you need anything, ask him. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."She slowly pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.Ava had been out for three weeks, give or take. I thought she'd never wake up.The doctors immediately operated on her as soon as we landed, and I brought her here straight after.They said to let her rest because her body had undergone much maltreatment and shock, and her brain was struggling to catch up.I hadn't been expecting her to wake up for another week or two, but when I came in to check on her and saw her eyelids fluttering, I gave it a shot.Her bruised skin seemed to be turning back to its original colour, and her speech and eyes were clear right from the start, so I didn't have to call the doctor to sedate her.I noticed her expression when she looked at her hair; she probably had questions, but she'd understand everything soon enough.I rose from my seat, watching her defeated form. Her racing thoughts were loud enough to bring back those I'd buried. I was going to regret staying here for another minute.Plucking my phone from the desk, I glanced at the camera I'd hidden on the side of her closet.The flat, transparent device blended perfectly with the dark green walls, making it hard to spot.I ran my tongue below the rows of my teeth and allowed the weighty side of my thoughts to break through.I didn't like each second ticking by.Helping her was the most irrational decision I'd ever taken, and it was putting me on edge.All my choices had solid evidence and facts too hard to ignore plastered to them, but here I was, making one for no logical reason.All because of a note with no surety of who the writer was.I knew Ava from a long time ago. I knew she was a good person at heart, but that was years ago.I was a different person now.She was a different person now.She'd been through a rough time for years. She'd discovered real pain, and from experience, that encounter damages much more than a person's way of thinking, so why did I bring her back?Why was I trying to give her a new life when I barely trusted her?She was right, she was 'misplaced charity,' but I was helping her because...I wanted my loose ends tied? Because I pitied her?This didn't make any sense.I needed to think. She hadn't been here long, and I was already regretting my decision.I should have found a way to deal with the real problem myself.Making my way to the door, I pocketed my phone and, out of habit, hoped for the worst to happen.Disappoint me, Ava.