JASMINE
I excused myself quickly, my heart hammering against my ribs as I slipped into the ladies' bathroom and locked the door behind me. My hands trembled so violently that I had to grip the edge of the sink to steady myself. The mirror reflected a woman I barely recognized, eyes wide with fear, cheeks flushed from the adrenaline coursing through me.
(System… I don't think I can do this,) I whispered desperately in my mind.
(I can't seduce Henry the way you want. He holds everything over me, the antidote, those photos, my entire future. I feel completely trapped.)
The System's voice crackled through my thoughts, glitchy and mechanical.
(Running diagnostics… Medical history review complete. No recorded bipolar disorder. No chronic physical illness detected. All vitals and neural patterns are within normal parameters.)
I stared at my reflection, confusion knotting my brow.
