IMOGEN'S POV
Maggie stood beside me, her hands trembling slightly as she applied the heavy foundation to my face. The brush moved with precision, but I could sense the hesitation in her touch. The silence between us was thick, weighed down by the unspoken truths that lingered in the air like ghosts. I glanced at the mirror, watching as she worked to cover the bruises, each stroke of makeup a reminder of what had been done to me.
"It'll take a lot to cover these," Maggie murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "But the heavy makeup… it might draw more attention than you want. The media… they could twist it into something vicious."
I met her eyes in the mirror, seeing the concern etched into her expression. She wasn't just worried about the media. She was worried about me, about what all of this would do to me. But I couldn't let that stop me. I had already decided. "Just do it," I said quietly, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.
