"Utter nonsense!" Stewart''s scowl deepened. "Bryn doesn''t understand any of this. Ferdinand''s obsession with her is my fault-how could you just let her go back to him?"


    "But Ferdinand has already set his sights on the children," the assistant said quietly. "Ms. Kensington made it clear-she''s not doing this for the greater good, and it''s not about you. She''s doing it for the kids. That''s all."


    Stewart froze, his anger draining into stunned silence.


    Mr. Hoffman looked up at Stewart, his expression grave. "You know as well as I do. Things have reached a dead end."


    "Ms. Kensington is innocent in all this, but right now, she''s the only one Ferdinand cares about. The only one who can draw him out."


    Stewart closed his eyes, jaw tight, Adam''s apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Ferdinand is after Bryn because of me. I dragged her into this mess."


    "It''s not all your fault," Mr. Hoffman said gently.


    Stewart opened his eyes, confusion flickering there. "What do you mean?"


    With a sigh, Mr. Hoffman replied, "Ms. Kensington confided in me recently. She said that night, more than nine years ago, when she met you by chance-she also happened to save Ferdinand. Looking back, it must have been during that raid. Ferdinand was wounded while escaping. By sheer coincidence, Ms. Kensington, not knowing who he was, helped him.”


    Stewart stared at Mr. Hoffman, his voice barely above a whisper. "Bryn saved Ferdinand..."


    "Yes," Mr. Hoffman affirmed. "Ferdinand''s mind isn''t... right. He believes Ms. Kensington saved his life, changed his fate. Now he''s convinced that since she kept him alive, she belongs to him. He sees her as his possession—or perhaps, his prize."


    "But Bryn would never choose to be with Ferdinand..."


    "Of course not. She doesn''t ept Ferdinand, but she doesn''t ept you, either." Mr. Hoffman''s gaze softened as he shook his head, voice earnest. "Neither of you is truly what Ms. Kensington needs. Ferdinand is broken-growing up under Fred Wentworth''s shadow, surrounded by extremists, his mind became warped long ago. And you... your sense of duty, your temperament, all the burdens you carry -they ended up wounding Ms. Kensington as well, even if you didn''t mean to."


    "There are things in this world that circle back on us, Stewart. Cause and effect. The three of you were always bound for this tangle, whether you realized it or not." Mr. Hoffman had seen too many goodbyes, too many tragedies. His heart had grown numb to them.


    "Ms. Kensington and Ferdinand, you and Ms. Kensington-maybe, from the very start, you were only meant to cross paths, not end up together."


    Stewart''s eyes were bloodshot, voice raw. "I gave up hoping for a happy ending with Bryn a long time ago. All I want now is for her and the kids to be safe and healthy."


    "This is Ms. Kensington''s fate," Mr. Hoffman said quietly. "Just like Miss Mary. The organization pulled her out of that hellhole of a


    neighborhood, raised her, gave her a new life, but it came at a cost. We all


    but in the end, she lost herself to love. Her betrayal... that was her destiny, too."


    thought she''d finally f


    Going undercover among criminals means breaking yourself apart and building someone new from the ruins.


    Mary, in the process, fell for Ferdinand.


    That became her undoing.


    Bryn wasn''t like Mary. Mary always knew exactly what she was getting into. Bryn,


    on the other hand, was dragged into this life against her will.


    It didn''t matter if she wanted out-she never had a real choice.


    Stewart''s voice was barely audible. "She didn''t deserve any of this. I failed her."


    Mr. Hoffman ced a hand on his shoulder. "Even without you, the night she saved Ferdinand sealed her fate. She was never going to outrun it."


    The world was never fair.


    Is good always rewarded?


    Hardly. How many times had he read stories of good people being wronged, their kindness twisted against them?


    When monsterse for you, they don''t care if you''ve never hurt a soul.


    And those cowards on the inte,


    spewing venom with a few keystrokes they don''t care about right or wrong, about the people they tear down. All that matters is the satisfaction of releasing theirown bitterness, free of consequence. Cóntent


    Mr. Hoffman''s voice dropped low. "You and Ms. Kensington have two children. If she makes it back, that''s the best oue. But if she doesn''t... the kids will need you."


    Stewart''s jaw clenched, tears slipping down his cheeks, silent and bitter.


    "There was onest thing Ms. Kensington wanted me to tell you," Mr. Hoffman said softly. "She said she''s no saint. All she wants is for nos this to end, once and for all-and for


    her children to grow up safe and


    well."