The soft click of the door signaled Julian Sin's departure. Evelyn lay still on the bed, a single tear tracking a path into her hair. She was done practicing the art of self-destruction for a man who didn't even turn around when she fell.
When Evelyn woke again, a girl roughly her own age was standing by the bed with a tray.
"You're awake!" the girl chirped, her smile bright enough to cut through the room's gloom. She introduced herself as Kiki, a local girl Julian had hired to look after her. "I know you! You're the rising star from the ads!"
Evelyn managed a weak smile. "Not a star yet, Kiki. Right now, half the internet probably wants me burned at the stake."
