Gena's POV
The air felt heavier the moment we stepped back into headquarters.
Not physically. Not even because of what we had just come from. It was something else… something waiting.
Janet.
She stood at the far end of the corridor, eyes already glistening, shoulders stiff like she had been holding herself together for far too long. For a second, no one moved. Not even me. My chest tightened as her gaze locked onto Roxy, and then she started walking.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Each step louder than it should have been.
"Janet—" I tried, but my voice felt small, useless.
She didn't even look at me.
Her hand rose.
And before anyone could react—
SLAP.
The sound cracked through the corridor like a gunshot.
Roxy's head turned slightly with the impact, but her body didn't move. She didn't retaliate. Didn't even look angry. Just… still.
Silence followed. Thick. Suffocating.
Janet's hand trembled where it hung in the air, her breath uneven, tears spilling freely now.
