"Don't say that," she said carefully, her eyes watching him as though he might shatter at any moment. "You've been through so much. Your mother’s death left a hole no one could fill, and I know you’ve carried that pain all these years. But you were never cruel. Not like this."

Nathan leaned back, his face devoid of any warmth. His eyes remained fixed on her, unblinking, like a predator watching its prey. "Maybe I was never cruel because I had no power," he said, his voice as cold as the ...