章 24: Chapter 24: Reconciliation

Grabbing Alessa's shoulders once more, Janie beseeched Alessa to be cautious. "Less, we're almost out of time, so I'm going to emphasize once more how critical it is that you don't let on that you know any of this."

Alessa had never seen Janie look so frightened. She still couldn't process most of what Janie had said, so she just nodded quickly in response.

"Say it. Promise me you'll be careful." The reflection of a hundred tiny screens glowed eerily in Janie's wide eyes.

Shaken by Janie's frenzy, Alessa stuttered, "I… I promise. I won't let anyone know."

Janie dropped her hands from Alessa's shoulders with a visible sigh. "Just remember that if you're not careful, we'll both end up like Nikhil."

"Like Nikhil?" Alessa remembered the night they almost kissed, watching those security officers drag him away into the dark. She whispered hesitantly, "What happened to him?"