The first flash blinds me. The second disorients me. The third feels like a punch of light right between my eyes.
Then the shouting begins.
It comes from every direction, a wave of voices crashing into us before I can even raise my hands to shield myself. The noise feels alive, clawing at my ears, rising higher each second until it is impossible to tell one voice from another.
“Mr. Thornton, look here.”
“Elena, Elena, over here, look at me.”
“Is it true you have been hiding her?”
“What role did she play in Adrian Thornton’s downfall?”
“How long has this been going on between you two?”
The questions tear through the air, loud and sharp, vibrating against my skin. My breath falters. I take a step back, instinctive, but there is nowhere to go. People press in from all sides, cameras l
