Chapter 24 · You told me to

"You told me to."

"That was three years ago."

"I know."

"I was about to walk into a machine that could kill me."

"I know."

"You knew the test was dangerous."

"Yes."

"You knew I was wrong."

"Yes."

"And you let me go."

His eyes turned bright, but he did not look away.

"You asked me to."

Celine's fingers curled around the drive until its edge dug into her palm.

"Why didn't you save me?"

Ethan's mouth tightened.

For one second, he looked like the man she remembered. The man who used to argue with her over burnt toast. The man who never raised his voice because he knew exactly how much damage a quiet sentence could do.

Then he said, "Because you told me not to."

Celine slapped him.

The sound cracked across the office.

Ethan's head turned with the impact. The gun shifted in his hand.

Celine grabbed his wrist and shoved it down. "Don't you dare make that noble."

"I'm not."

"You abandoned me."

"Yes."

"You watched the company bury me."

"Yes."

"You let them use my face, my name, my work."

His breath shook. "I didn't know Mira had survived."

"You knew someone survived.