Dominic was silent for a long beat.
Then he said, “I loved Elena before I knew what love was supposed to cost. She was not part of my world. She ran a children’s art program in Dorchester. She called me a beautifully dressed disaster the first time we met.”
Grace smiled slightly.
“She wanted me to leave the business,” he went on. “When Sophie was born, I promised I would. But power is easier to promise away than surrender. There is always one more war, one more threat, one more reason to stay dangerous.”
“And then she died.”
“And then I decided softness had killed her.”
Grace’s voice was soft. “Softness saved your daughter.”
Dominic gazed toward Sophie’s window.
“I know.”
He sounded regretful.
Grace almost reached for his hand, then retracted.
