Then I shook my head.
"No. I wanted out. A clean break is better for me."
She didn't seem to care about my answer. She had already moved on to her next performance.
"Also, the car accident really was just that—an accident." Her voice dropped to something approximating remorse. "I apologized to Nico, and he promised me there wouldn't be any consequences. I assume... you won't hold it against me either?"
I looked at her steadily.
Said nothing.
Consequences. In this world, that word meant something very specific. It meant broken bones, missing fingers, shallow graves in the pine barrens. That Nico had promised her immunity meant he valued her more than the blood oath he had sworn to me.
There were many things I couldn't handle on my own right now. My ruined hand. My stolen research. My shattered future.
That Nico would protect her was no surprise.
He had always protected her.
"You saw that thesis, didn't you?"
Her tone dropped, and something sharp glinted in her eyes—satisfaction, perhaps. Or triumph.
"Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking." She leaned forward slightly. "Nico knew I was doing research abroad and needed publications to restore my family's standing. He gave it to me himself."