Chapter 89

Rita's POV This is exhausting. All this back and forth, with me stuck in the middle, is driving me insane. I hate every second of it. Maeve still terrifies me, and the thought of telling her what he said fills me with dread. But I know it’s final, he’s not giving them the money. I just pray she’ll accept it without flying off the handle. She’ll have to scramble to find someone else willing to help us now, and that’s what scares me most. Every new person she pulls in increases the risk of me being exposed. And if Ashton ever finds out what I’ve done… I shudder to imagine what he would do to me. I’m out here again, alone in the dark. It feels just as eerie as it did last night. I tried texting her, hoping we could avoid meeting like this, but she insisted on a face-to-face. Despite everything in me screaming not to, I came. I shivered. I wasn’t alone, I could feel it. Someone was watching me. I just wanted this over with so I could get back to the safety of my room. Honestly, calling fro