Chapter 10
“Elaine has been under strain,” Genesis said. “Her work is very demanding. She and Jackson have had financial disagreements, as many couples do.”
“I own my apartment separately,” I said without looking at her. “There is no marital dispute about it.”
Genesis turned her head slowly. “Family property is never truly separate.”
The officer looked up.
Even Genesis seemed to realize she had said too much.
Aunt Sylvia sank into a chair in the hallway. Someone in the dining room began crying softly. The younger cousins had gathered near the kitchen entrance, whispering. The children were nowhere in sight, and I was grateful for that small mercy.
The paramedic cleaned the cut at my temple. The sting brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them away.
“You likely need stitches,” she said. “We should take you in.”
I nodded.
The officer asked whether I wanted to make a statement at the hospital.
“Yes,” I said.
Genesis’s gaze snapped to me.
It was almost impressive, how deeply she had believed I would still protect them. Even after the plate. Even after the blood. Even after the folder.
To Genesis, my refusal to cooperate was not self-preservation. It was betrayal.
The female officer placed the documents back in the folder and handed it to me. “Bring this with you. It may be relevant to a separate investigation.”
Jackson stood outside by the patrol car, speaking with the other officer. Through the glass panels beside the front door, I could see his profile. Hands moving. Shoulders tense. He was performing now, no doubt. Explaining. Minimizing. Recasting the scene into something more flattering.
I had seen him do it with unpaid contractors, disappointed investors, friends he had borrowed money from and never repaid.
He could be charming when cornered.
That charm had been the first thing I loved.
May you like
Or thought I loved.
When I met Jackson, he was all warmth and ambition. He said I made him feel steady. He admired my designs, asked thoughtful questions about load-bearing walls and zoning restrictions, brought me pastries from a bakery near his office even after that office closed and he pretended for two weeks he still had meetings there.
