An arrogant Navy SEAL slammed me against the wall in a military airport lounge and called me a civilian. He had no idea he was putting his hands on his new commanding officer.

The trial dragged on.

Day after day of testimony. Of evidence. Of lies and half-truths.

Lila's testimony had been devastating. Not because of what she'd said, but because of how she'd said it—scared, uncertain, easily confused by the defense lawyer's tricks.

The jury had seen it. The reporters had seen it. Everyone had seen it.

Carter's team was winning.

I could feel it. The momentum was shifting. The headlines changed from "SEAL FACES JUSTICE" to "VANCE SISTER UNCERTAIN ON STAND."

Lila withdrew even more. She stopped talking to me. Stopped eating with the family. She'd lock herself in her room for hours, and when she came out, she wouldn't look me in the eye.

Carter's words haunted me.

She's going to hate you for the rest of her life.

One night, I couldn't take it anymore. I knocked on Lila's door.

"Go away, Elena," she said from inside.

"Lila, please. We need to talk."

The door opened. She looked terrible. Pale. Tired. Her eyes were red from crying.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice cold.

"I want to know what's going on," I said. "You won't talk to me. You won't even look at me. Did that lawyer get into your head? Do you actually believe him? That I manipulated you?"

She looked away. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

My heart broke.

"Lila," I said, my voice cracking. "I would never manipulate you. I would never lie to you. Not about this. I came back because I love you. Because I wanted to protect you."

"Protect me?" she said, turning back to me, her voice rising. "You call this protection? My life is ruined, Elena! Everyone in this town knows my business. Everyone knows what Jake did to me. They look at me like I'm damaged goods. And now I'm supposed to stand up in court and help send the man I loved to prison? And for what? So you can feel like a hero?"

"I don't want to be a hero," I said, tears streaming down my face. "I just want my sister back. I just want you to be safe."

"Well, I'm not safe!" she shouted. "I'm not safe anywhere! Everywhere I go, people stare. People whisper. And it's all your fault! If you hadn't come back, none of this would have happened! Jake and I would be married. We'd be happy. And you'd still be dead, and everything would be fine!"

The words hung in the air between us.

She realized what she'd said the moment it left her mouth. Her hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Elena, I didn't mean—"

"Yes, you did," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "And maybe you're right. Maybe I should have stayed dead. Maybe everyone would have been better off."

I turned and walked away.

I went to the only place I could think of.

Marcus was staying at a hotel near the courthouse. He opened the door when I knocked, and when he saw my face, he pulled me inside without a word.

I broke down in his arms.

"She hates me," I sobbed. "Lila hates me. Carter was right. I ruined everything."

Marcus held me, letting me cry. When I finally calmed down, he made me tea and sat with me on the couch.

"She doesn't hate you," he said gently. "She's scared. She's confused. She's been through hell, Elena. And right now, it's easier for her to blame you than to accept that the man she loved was a monster. That's not hate. That's trauma."

"It feels like hate," I said.

"I know," he said. "But it won't last. She's your sister. She loves you. She just needs time to heal."

"What if the trial goes wrong?" I asked. "What if Carter gets off? He'll come after her. I know he will."

"He's not going to get off," Marcus said. "I have something. Something that will change everything."

I looked up at him. "What?"

"One of Carter's old teammates," he said. "He came forward today. He saw Carter hit a woman in Bahrain. The one that got swept under the rug. He's willing to testify. And he has photos. Photos of the incident. Photos that Carter thought were destroyed."

My heart raced. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to make sure he was serious," Marcus said. "He's scared. Carter has a lot of friends in the Teams. But he's also guilty. He watched it happen and did nothing. He wants to make it right."

"Will the judge let him testify?" I asked.

"I already talked to the prosecution," Marcus said. "They're filing a motion tonight. If the judge allows it... it's over, Elena. Carter goes away for a long time."

I leaned back, closing my eyes. For the first time in weeks, I felt a glimmer of hope.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Marcus took my hand. "I told you I'd always have your back."

I looked at him. Really looked at him. For six years, he'd been my partner. My friend. My rock.