Chapter 7. Masked in Shadows

I nodded, a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach. The Beta’s words lingered in the air, and I could not help but fear that everything could crumble and go to sh*t. I could be sent right back, right back to the orphanage. 

And then, who will help me? Exactly, no one. 

“Thanks for the heads-up,” I managed to mumble, attempting a casual tone that betrayed unease beneath. “But I promise you that I am not hiding any secrets. I’m just who I say I am,” I lied smoothly, keeping a steady voice and tone. 

Mark offered a curt nod, and stared at me for a few seconds before walking away, leaving me standing there. 

Alone in the hallway, I contemplated whether I should just find another way to help my friends back at that hellhole and a way to keep myself safe. The truth felt like a fragile thread slipping through my fingers, and I couldn’t afford it to snap. 

And the crazy thing was that I had not even spent 24 hours here yet. I needed to step