~~Nathan~~
I was not comfortable with my daughter going out that late.
I just refused to say it.
Our relationship had only recently started feeling less like a battlefield and more like something fragile and worth protecting. I was not about to ruin that progress by turning into the overbearing father she already believed I was.
So I let her go.
I told myself she was old enough. Responsible enough. I told myself I needed to trust her.
I did not trust the world.
That was the difference.
I sent two of my men to keep an eye on her. Discreet. Distant. Invisible. I did not tell her that either. If she found out, she would call it control. I called it insurance.
They were supposed to be at a friend’s house.
A quiet Christmas gathering.
That was what I was told. That was what she said.
