Cain was startled when the door to the rooftop slammed open, and someone stumbled inside, crying uncontrollably. His usual haven — an empty, quiet spot away from the cameras — was suddenly disrupted by the chaos.
Everyone else was in the empty studio practicing. Since fewer than half of the contestants remained, finding space wasn't a challenge anymore.
Cain had retreated to this secluded area in the roof deck, a blind spot away from the cameras, a place he thought of as his personal sanctuary.
But that sanctuary was now being invaded.
A woman ran into him, sobbing. She didn't notice him at all, blinded by her tears.
Cain flinched. She was going to collide with him, her bronze skin glistening under the dim light, her long, curly black hair a cascade of chaos. She had a delicate face, her phoenix eyes rimmed with red from crying, and crimson lips trembling with emotion.
