Chapter 6

The door clicked shut, and the oppressive atmosphere left with her parents. Adriana let out a long breath, her body sinking back into the mattress.

Janna handed her a cup of water, her hand trembling slightly. "You scared me. The way you talked to them... it was like you were a different person."

Adriana took a sip, the cool water soothing her raw throat. She looked at Janna, really looked at her. In the other timeline, Janna had been beaten black and blue by Troy Boggs. She had been a shadow of herself, terrified and broken.

The memory was a knife in Adriana's chest. She couldn't let that happen again.

She set the cup down and reached out, grabbing both of Janna's hands. Her grip was tight, almost painful.

"Janna, listen to me," Adriana said, her voice low and intense. "This is important."

Janna blinked, startled by the intensity. "What is it?"

"You need to break up with Troy Boggs. Today. Right now."

Janna's face flushed. She tried to pull her hands back, but Adriana held on. "Why are you bringing him up? Troy loves me. He's just stressed."

"He's stressed?" Adriana repeated, her voice hard. "Is that what he calls it? I see the way he looks at you when other guys are around. He doesn't look at you like a partner, Janna. He looks at you like property."

Janna went pale. "How... how could you say that?"

"Because I have eyes, Janna," Adriana said, leaning closer. "He checks your phone, he tells you what to wear, he isolates you from your friends. That is not love. That is a cage. And that cracked phone screen last week... you told me you dropped it, but did you, Janna? Did you really?"

Janna looked away, her bottom lip trembling. "He said he was sorry. He bought me that necklace..."

"A necklace is an apology for a mistake," Adriana said fiercely. "It's not a license to do it again. Janna, he is going to hurt you. I know it in my bones."

Tears welled in Janna's eyes. "You don't know him like I do."

"I know that you deserve better," Adriana said, her voice cracking. She let go of Janna's hands and cupped her friend's face, forcing Janna to look at her. "You are the best person I know. You are smart and kind and you do not need a man to validate you. I cannot lose you to someone like him."

Janna stared at her, the fight draining out of her. She saw the desperation in Adriana's eyes, the raw fear, and it scared her more than Troy ever had.

"I'll try," Janna whispered. "I'll talk to him."

"No," Adriana said firmly. "You don't talk to him. You tell him it's over, and then you block him. If he comes near you, you call me. If he threatens you, you call the police. Promise me."

Janna swallowed hard, then nodded. "I promise."

Adriana let out a breath, her shoulders dropping. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was a start. She had planted the seed.

"Good," Adriana said. She reached for the phone on the nightstand. "Now, I need you to do me a favor. Hand me my bag."

Janna grabbed the designer tote from the chair and handed it over. Adriana dug through it until she found her phone. She plugged it into the charger, waiting for the screen to light up.

It booted up, and instantly, it buzzed with notifications. Missed calls from her mother. Texts from her father. And dozens of messages from Everette.

She didn't read them. She deleted them all without a second glance.

Then she scrolled through her contacts until she found the number for her grandmother's personal assistant.

"Who are you calling?" Janna asked.

"Someone who can help me get out of here," Adriana said. The line connected. "Hello? It's Adriana Guzman. I need to access my trust fund. All of it. I need you to start the process immediately."