Amaya confronted Adrian with Marcus's file.
"You're doing it again. Destroying lives, destroying families."
Adrian's face hardened. "I don't expect you to understand—"
"Understand?" She snapped. "I watched my father lose everything because of you!"
His jaw clenched. "I did what I had to do to survive in this world. You think kindness wins wars? No. Power does. Control does."
Tears burned her eyes. "And what about love?"
For a moment, silence filled the air. His voice broke when he answered: "Love is the one thing I can't control. Not with you."
Her heart twisted. Part of her wanted to believe him. Part of her wanted to run into his arms. But the file in her hand reminded her: love didn't erase betrayal.