Elise sat on the edge of her bed, Patricia's phone trembling in her hands. The video had ended minutes ago, but the images replayed over and over in her mind—Ellie's venom, Nikki's malice, Anastasia's rage and tears.
Her chest tightened painfully. "I… I accused her. My own cousin. I doubted her."
Patricia laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You were tricked. That's not your fault. What matters is that now you know the truth."
Anastasia, her knuckles still raw, crouched in front of Elise. Her voice broke, trembling. "I would never hurt you, Elise. You're family. You're everything to me. Please, never doubt that again."
Tears streamed down Elise's face as she clutched her cousin tightly, whispering, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."
The room fell into a fragile silence, broken only by Elise's quiet sobs.
And then—
The door creaked open.
Davon stepped inside, his crimson eyes widening at the scene before him. Elise's tears. Anastasia and Patricia flanking her like guardians.
The tension snapped instantly. Anastasia rose to her feet, exchanging a glance with Patricia. Without a word, the two slipped out, leaving Elise and Davon alone in the quiet dorm room.
Awkward silence weighed heavy. Elise kept her eyes fixed on the floor, her hands twisting in her lap. Davon's jaw clenched, as though he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Finally, he exhaled and broke the silence. "Elise… about before—I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. I'm—"
"Stop," Elise whispered.
Davon froze.
Her voice shook, but she forced herself to look up at him, her eyes shimmering with fresh tears. "No, Davon. I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't listen. I pushed you away when you were only trying to protect me. I said things I didn't mean, and I hurt you."
Her lips trembled into the faintest, shyest curve of a smile. "So… I'm sorry. Really."
Davon's breath caught. For a moment, he could only stare at her, as if her smile was a miracle he thought he'd never see again. His heart, so heavy for days, suddenly felt lighter.
A small, almost boyish smile tugged at his lips. He stepped back toward the door, his crimson eyes softer than she'd ever seen them.
"You don't know how much that means," he murmured.
And with that, he slipped out quietly, leaving Elise in stunned silence, her cheeks warm from her own smile that hadn't faded yet.
In the hallway, Davon's chest swelled with something fragile but alive—hope. For the first time since finding her, he allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could start again.