Ryder pov
"That's not—" Gio starts to protest, then stops. His shoulders sag. "Gods. You're right. Even now, part of me is glad he's suffering. Glad he's finally weak instead of me. What kind of monster does that make me?"
"The kind empathy created." Jolie's voice softens slightly. "You're feeling too much too fast with no framework to process it. Elena warned me about that. She said forced empathy without training can break people."
She looks at the guards, then back at Gio. "Send them away. All of them. If we're doing this, it's just us."
"You'll kill me the second they leave." But Gio's already gesturing to his guards.
"If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead." Moonfire flares around her hands. "Now send them away before I change my mind."
The guards look at Gio for confirmat
