Mason chuckled, the sound low and bitter.
"You always think you're the smartest in the room," he said, circling Alison. "But if you really wanted answers, maybe you should ask Hudson."Alison froze.
Her gun cocked before she even realized she'd lifted it.
The shot cracked—fast and sharp.
The bullet hissed past Mason's head, close enough to make him stop mid-step.He smiled anyway.
"That temper," he said, taking a slow step closer.
"Don't," she warned, the gun still in her hands.
But he kept talking, his voice calm. "You think I'm the one you need answers from, but I was never the one pulling the strings."
Another step.
"You shoot me, and you'll never find out what really happened to—"
"Stop talking."
Her voice cracked—just once—but she didn't lower the gun.
Mason didn't blink. "You're not mad at me, Ali. You're mad because part of you knows I'm right."
Silence.
Then, slowly, her arms dropped. The gun hung at her side.
She looked into his eyes. No more anger—just tiredness. But also searching. Maybe for a lie. Maybe for the truth.
Maybe for the boy she used to know—the one who once held her heart like it was something worth protecting.
He didn't blink. Just looked at her the same way he always did—like he knew her better than she wanted him to.
Behind her, Grayson shifted against the ropes. "Alison—don't. Don't listen to him. He's messing with you."
She didn't turn. Her eyes stayed on Mason.
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Tell me you didn't mean it."
A long silence passed between them, heavy with things they never said.
Mason's voice was soft. "You already know the answer."
She took in a shaky breath. Her chest rose, then fell.
And then, without a word, she stepped aside.
Grayson was still tied to the chair, his shirt stained with blood, his face pale but alert.
She walked up to him without a word, knelt down, and started untying the knots at his wrists.
He watched her, confused. "Alison—what are you doing?"
"You're leaving."
His voice rose. "No—no, not without you."
She ignored that, working at the final knot.
"You don't have to do this," he said.
The ropes fell away.
Alison stood up and stepped back. "You need to go. Get to a hospital."
"Ali—listen to me. We can both go. He's bluffing. Whatever he said, it doesn't matter."
"I said go."
Grayson stared at her like she was someone else. "Alison."
She finally looked at him. Her face was calm, but her eyes were red.
"You need to get to the hospital. You're still bleeding."
"I don't care."
"I do."
He took a step forward, desperate. "Alison—please—"
"Go."
That was the last thing she said.
Her voice was firm now. Final.
She didn't look at him again.

YOU ARE READING
Penance - Uncovering the truth, Secrets and confessions, and Twisted pasts
FanfictionFor those who have read The Inheritance Games book series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, in The Final Gambit book, Grayson confesses that he kissed a girl during his time at Harvard University. This fan-fiction will be about Grayson's time at Harvard.