AIDEN's POV
The question had been burning in my mind for years, and I’d asked it more times than I could count. But this time, something felt different. Maybe it was the weight in Michael’s gaze, or maybe I was just desperate for a real answer.
“Why did you decide to save me that day instead of killing me?” I asked, my voice steady but low.
Every time before, Michael had given me the same pragmatic response—that he’d spared me because I was useful, because I had the potential to serve his interests. But this time, something in his eyes made me believe I might finally get the truth.
“I saw myself in you,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. His gaze was distant, fixed on something beyond the room, beyond the moment.
We were seated across from each other in the armchairs by the large
