Eli’s POV
My secrets' weight was finally falling on me. Ava's expression betrayed both fury and loyalty, and I could see why. Believing it was safer that way, I had kept her in the dark for so long. But here she was, putting together the elements of my life I had always sought to divide.
"I did everything for Ava, all for you. Every danger, every lie—I was attempting to guard you, my voice unvarnished.
She gave out a sour laugh. "Guard me?" By driving me into peril without even realizing it?
I had replayed this scenario in my brain a thousand times, but now it was far more terrible. "I had no idea how far it would sink. When I initially became engaged with Marconi, it was straightforward. He needed someone on the inside, and I considered it as just temporary—until I had sufficient inf
