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No, it didn’t.And God help me, even if she’d tried to walk away, I never would’ve let her.

“She always said she should’ve known better, but by the time she realized, it was too late.She loved him.”

Aoife watches me carefully.“And he loved her?”

“In his own way.”I nod.“But it wasn’t enough to change him.And she learned to live with that.”

She sighs, setting her glass down.

After clearing my throat, I push forward.“After I did it, after I pulled the trigger, I threw up.”

“You were a child,” she whispers, the words barely audible.

I nod slowly, letting the weight of the memory press down on me.“In my father’s eyes, I wasn’t.Not anymore.”

She shakes her head, disbelief tightening her features.“That’s?—”

“Part of life,” I say quietly.“Part of being the heir to the Syndicate.”

Her eyes soften, sympathy creeping into her expression, but I don’t want it.Sympathy doesn’t change what happened.It doesn’t undo who I became that day.

“My father wasn’t impressed,” I continue.“Said it was part of the process.”

“I don’t care what your father said.”Her voice is soft but fierce.“You were a child, Eamon.He had no right to put that sort of burden on your shoulders.”

Her words land harder than I expect.A direct hit.

Aoife’s sitting here after putting a bullet in a man’s head because I put her in that position.Because I tested her.I wanted to see if she’d break.And yet, she’s the one fighting for me.For the part of me that should’ve been protected, the part I buried so deep I stopped believing it even existed.

I don’t deserve it.I don’t deserve her.

But fuck if I don’t want to keep her anyway.

“Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he took me to his mistress.He told me that was part of becoming a man, too.”

Aoife stiffens.“That same night?”

I nod once.

She hesitates for a second before asking, “Do you have a mistress?”

It’s not an accusation.Just curiosity.But the question still twists something in my gut.

I straighten, my answer leaving no room for debate.“No.”

She studies me, looking for any sign of a lie.

“I would never cheat on you, Aoife.”My voice is firm, confident.“That’s not who I am.”

She nods slowly, accepting my answer.

I take a step closer, watching her carefully.“Are you really okay?”

She meets my gaze.“I am.”

I reach for her, my fingers grazing her arm.“Listen to me.If you ever feel like you’re slipping, like the memory of tonight is too much, I need you to tell me.”

She swallows.“I won’t.”