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Too shocked to find words, I can only stare at her

“It’s your only chance of getting away,” she says, letting go ofto poison myself twice for you”

“What about you?” I ask, battling to process what’s happening “What did Lena give you?”

“Don’t worry abouther broith the back of her hand “It was a small dose I’ll survive”

“I can’t believe you did this,” I say, shaking froerous and irresponsible”

“Don’t let it be for nothing” She pushesout of time” When I don’t move, she says, “It’s now or never, Kate Do you understand what I’?”

My brain goes into shutdowndictates that I assist her When her shoulders curl inward and her chest heaves, I take her arm

“Co Alex”

She shoves , Kate Don’t be an idiot”

I look at the bag in the corner behind the door “How did it get here?”

“My bodyguard s in front of the toilet “Does it fucking ot there?”

Brushing her hair over her shoulder, I say, “I can’t just leave you like this”

She utters a laugh “I’ll have enough people worrying aboutcuts the rest of her sentence short

I hold her hair as she empties her stomach When the worst of it is over, I run for the door

A knock falls on it as I’m about to reach for the handle

“Katerina?” Alex calls “Is everything all right?”

“No,” I say, opening the door

Alex and Mikhail stand on the threshold, their faces tense orry

“It looks like poison,” I say in a shaky voice “She needs to get to a hospital”