LILA POV 

I didn't make it far.

The moment the heavy door to Nicklaus's office slammed shut behind me, the sound echoed through the empty hall like a gunshot. My knees buckled under the weight of it all.

I stumbled backward, my shoulder hittingriizo the wall with a dull thud. A shudder wracked my body, and then I was sliding down, the cold floor biting through the thin fabric of my jeans. My hands, clumsy and trembling couldn't even catch me properly.

The sobs tore out before I could stop them.

Ugly, gasping sounds ripped from my chest, raw and jagged. I clutched at my sides, trying to hold myself...