ched the part about the message.
Then he held out his hand.
“May I?”
I hesitated.
Not because I feared losing the photograph.
Because giving it to him felt strangely like giving away control.
But I handed it over.
Adrian turned it over.
He read the sentence.
His face went still.
“Who was supposed to be in fourteen B?” I asked.
He looked at me.
“You were.”
My anger arrived so fast that it almost steadied me.
“That is not an answer.”
“It is.”
“The note says otherwise.”
“The note is wrong.”
“Then explain the picture.”
“I can.”
“Good.”
“Elena.”
“No.”
I stepped into the hallway and pulled the door almost closed behind me.
Lily was still visible through the opening.
“I’m tired of everyone saying my name before giving me half an answer.”
Adrian absorbed that.
Then nodded.
“Fair.”
Daniel looked between us.
“I’ll be at the elevator.”
