's

the repercussions of the warehouse event and the impending ultimatum from Venessa, Sam had been especially quiet. Still strugg

s I had recovered from Venessa's hands lay out before me. My life-my mission, my feelings for Jak

m cold and calculated Venessa, the message was: "Meet

e. Though Venessa's message left me without an option, I had hoped to never go back the

ooky, dusty inside I had learned to hate. Knowing that this confrontation might mark

ion coming through the windows covered in filth. Her eyes glittered with a terribl

and force my voice to stay quiet.

Sam to decide something. Release the damning p

my chest. "What th

him fall under the weight of his remorse makes one happ

at evidence do you

any sort. It's exactly what will bring down his enterprise.

the floor. "I advise you to have a

ntents turned out something that caused my heart to skip a beat. Sam's private journal entries and letters, wh

to assume. It was a mirror of Sam's remorse over a choice he had taken years ago that had brought down a close friend an

th mixed in my eyes. This is not about revealing

n, Nadia. Regarding control, Sam's remorse is his

n illegal activity. Venessa's tactics had gently fostered a heavy emotional load. The weight

ake showed up: "I'm coming to find

his safety. Though I couldn't afford to have him ca

seem more engaged in this than I would have g

"What are you really after if Sam'

my game, yet you believe you know everything. The real p

Jake broke into the warehouse, dread

ed them. "Oh, your friend. Very appropria

d a much-needed diversion, he had no clue about the whole scope o

along," I exclaimed, my voice rising

ath. "You consider yourself to hav

er arm and battled her to the ground. Though the fight was

chained but free of Venessa's immed

with both thanks and pain. "You

onviction. "You are friends with m

sturbance; her threats now had nothing. Though the immediate risk h

t of the confrontation still weighing heavily between us. Sam, his

ld have imagined being in the middle of this. Now

's eyes. "I was trying to guard you and Jake against

e dynamics of our marriage. The decisions we took going ahead would define our l

start as we left the warehouse. Though the road ahead was unknown, we might re

and relief. "We have to discuss all that has tra

way from the warehouse. Though the road is far from finished

tion to the degree of her manipulation. Though the future was unknown, the realities we