Vince’s POV
Clara stands near the window, framed by the soft spill of late-afternoon light. It catches in her hair like a halo, and I watch her with a satisfaction that never gets old. She has no idea how much I value her, how much I rely on her presence to steady me. She thinks her small flinches go unnoticed, or that the way she grows silent when my temper rises slips past me. But I see it all. I just don’t care. Fear keeps her close. Fear keeps her loyal, and loyalty is everything.
She’ll never leave me. Not with Timothy here. Not when her whole life is tied up under this roof. She knows I’ve kept her safe, kept her close. She knows that I chose her, wanted her, even when she was someone else’s wife. That kind of bond doesn’t break, no matter what’s happened since.
“Clara.” My voice
