Chapter 44

MARCO

I sat in my office, the silence almost deafening. The events of the day replayed in my mind, and I couldn’t shake the image of Sarah’s tear-streaked face. But I pushed the guilt away. It was a necessary evil. I needed to make a scene, to instill fear in her. It was the only way to ensure she wouldn’t try something like that again.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. “I can’t let myself get too relaxed with her,” I muttered to myself. “I can’t afford to let my guard down.”

The pain of losing someone you love—it’s something you never forget. I had promised myself I would never experience that again. Allowing Sarah any leeway, showing her any softness, would be a mistake. I couldn’t afford to let her think she could escape my control.

“She needs to understand the consequences of her actions,” I said quietly. “If she doesn’t, she’ll never learn.”

But even as I said the words, a part of me wondered if there was another way. Did I have to be so brutal? Could I have hand