It Doesn’t Matter Anymore novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The 48 hours Allison spent in detention were the darkest she had ever known.

Because her case involved the “sabotage of diplomatic relations” and “destruction of a state gift”-offenses deemed severe-she was held in a specialized solitary cell.

There was no heat. A harsh, pale light buzzed above her head for 24 hours, stinging her eyes and offering no rest.

The air conditioning was cranked so high that the chill seeped deep into her bones.

Then came the endless cycle of interrogations.

“Why did you break the vase?”

“Do you have a grudge against the commander?”

“Were you acting on behalf of a foreign power?”

The cold questions lashed at her like a whip. She was burning up with a high fever, her injuries still unhealed, and every breath felt like swallowing shards of glass.

She gritted her teeth, mechanically repeating the same phrase over and over. “It was an accident.”

She didn’t beg for mercy, and she didn’t offer any excuses.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the hand that had pointed at her, and the careless, casual way he had said, “It was her.”

By the next day, the scandal had exploded online.

Someone had leaked that “the commander’s wife threw a tantrum at the gala and smashed a diplomatic gift.”

No names were mentioned, but everyone in the compound knew exactly who it was.

The story trended all day, and the comments were flooded with insults.

“That kind of official’s wife just needs to be taught a lesson!”

“She’s an embarrassment to the country. Throw the book at her!”

“I heard she did it on purpose. How pathetic.”

The driver, an older man with a kind face, leaned toward her. “Do you need a ride?”

Allison grabbed the door handle like it was a lifeline and scrambled inside.

The moment the door clicked shut, she looked out the window. Then, she looked across the street from the station…

Greyson’s familiar military Jeep was parked right there.

The window was rolled halfway down. Sylvia was leaning back in the passenger seat, and Greyson was holding a bottle of water, unscrewing the cap before handing it to her. His expression was one of almost gentle helplessness.

So, he had come after all.

But he hadn’t gotten out. He hadn’t come to pick her up.

Instead, he was right there with the woman who had caused all of this -the person who was actually responsible.

Allison leaned back against the taxi seat and closed her eyes, tears sliding silently down her face.

“Just go, please,” she whispered.