I slipped inside. After using the facilities, I stared at myself in the wide expanse of mirrors above the marble sinks. My short hair stuck up every which way from the airped ride, but also from my time spent as a prisoner. The lower half of my face and neck were smeared in dried blood, and my left cheekbone was swollen, making the eye appear squinted. I only had on my black leather jacket over dirty jeans, as I had used my shirt to cover my face while escaping Jin Corp, and lost it somewhere along the way. I looked every bit like a street urchin trying to be something I wasn’t.

I tried, Vic, I thought, looking at my reflection until it blurred. But you were always the suave one.

I washed my face and neck, then rinsed my mouth out. My head and cheek throbbed, but nothing I couldn’t deal with. I’d been beat up worse.

There was a light knocking on the door, startling me despite its muted tone. My heart raced, and the ground tilted beneath my feet; for a moment, it felt as if I were in Jin Corp again, with the building collapsing over me, my vision obscured by smoke. Daiyu entered carrying a silver cup. I let out a breathless laugh, gripping the marble restroom counter. “You have no sense of privacy at all, do you?” My voice cracked.

“You’ve been in here for a while.” She offered the cup. “I thought you might be thirsty.”

I was, now that she mentioned it. Suddenly, it felt as if I could fall to my knees from thirst. I drank, and ice-cold sugarcane juice slid down my throat like some miracle elixir. I didn’t set the cup down until I was done, already feeling more alert. “Thank you,” I said.

She was leaning against the counter, facing me, close enough I felt her body’s warmth.

“Jason—”

“I’m sorry,” I cut in. “I’m sorry that I lied to you and used you. You were a necessary means to an end.” Shit. I sounded like a robotic jerk. Gripping the counter edge again, I went on, “But it doesn’t mean that . . .” I faltered.

. . . it was all a lie.

. . . I only pretended to like you.

. . . the kiss we shared doesn’t still blow my mind.

“. . . I ever wanted to hurt you,” I finally said. Staring at my knuckles, I knew how foolish I sounded.

“You used me,” Daiyu replied. “But I used you too.”

That was true. She played me better than I could ever have guessed. Who was actually running the show this entire time? Lingyi and our group, or had Daiyu simply let us?