Chapter 305

Olivia POV

I shook my head violently, physically trying to dislodge the doubt. That was what they wanted. They wanted me to question myself, to fail, to prove their ugly assumptions correct.

Screw that.

I grabbed my phone and purse, needing air, needing space to think away from these four walls that suddenly felt suffocating. The Cornerstone files could wait an hour.

Outside, the morning sun hit my face, warm and reassuring.

I walked for a while, letting my feet carry me without any real destination in mind. The sidewalks were already filling with the morning rush, people clutching coffee cups and staring at their phones. I needed space. Needed air. Needed to think about anything except those comments and the poison they were spreading through my brain.