“Yes.”
The honesty irritated me.
“Why?”
He exhaled slowly.
“To give you power over me.”
The answer stunned me for half a second.
He continued.
“To let you feel — even briefly — that you could hurt me back.”
His gaze hardened slightly.
“That I wasn’t untouchable.”
He rubbed his hand over his jaw as if remembering prison walls.
“And maybe...”
His voice lowered. “Maybe to punish myself a little.”
My throat tightened.
“I deserved it.”
The admission landed heavily between us.
He wasn’t excusing.
He was accepting responsibility.
I looked away.
Because seeing remorse in him was harder than seeing arrogance.
“Now what?” I asked quietly.
He stepped closer — slowly — careful not to invade my space.
“Now I’m here.”
His eyes shifted toward the baby. “For her.”
Then toward the hallway outside.
“For Yannis.”
His gaze returned to me.
“And — if you ever allow it — for you.”
My pulse jumped.
He held up a hand slightly.
