Chapter 42

ANNA

I couldn't shake the troubling thoughts from my mind. It was hard to comprehend that someone could stoop so low as to take an innocent human and mold them into a weapon of destruction. Morello, Orlando, and Dante, they were all culpable, and it was hard for me to fathom how they could live with themselves. They needed to be held accountable for their actions, and the only suitable punishment was the death penalty. Where was their conscience? Did they even have one?

Suddenly, Xavier's voice interrupted my thoughts. "You seem to be lost in your thoughts very often these days; you want to tell me why?"

I looked up to see him leaning casually against the wall. I couldn't help but wonder if he was one of Orlando's potential recruits. Even though he was part of the group that had kept me captive, I had grown to care for him over time. It was a complicated feeling, one that I couldn't quite explain.

Xavier's concerned expression prompted me to speak up. "I need to talk to you, Xavier," I