Chapter 87

Ruby's POV

The door clicked shut, leaving me alone in my room with my thoughts again. My conversation with my mother had yielded no resolution, just a lingering unease. I lay back on my bed, attempting to clear my mind, but thoughts of the night kept coming back.

Gonzalo. The memory of our encounter in the woods played in my mind like a broken record. He had acted so differently, so genuinely caring. The way he held me when he asked me to be quiet, even though it was firm, it wasn't hostile like I remembered, and I could see his eyes as he hid from Max and Vincent, even risking his own position in the competition, was unexpected. It left me conflicted and a little surprised, seeing him again in that circumstance was totally unexpected.

As I mulled over the events in the woods, a thought nagged at me. Gonzalo had hidden in the bushes, watching Max and Vincent confront me. I could have easily called him out, exposing him a