Chapter 50

• Susan stayed silent, letting his words sink in, feeling the pain in his voice as he spoke. She could picture it: a young Leo, tougher than most, hardened by necessity and circumstance.
• “Over time,” he continued, his tone darkening, “I got deeper into it. I met people who showed me how things worked… who taught me how power worked. And once I got a taste of that, there was no going back. It was like finally being handed a weapon after years of fighting empty-handed. I didn’t have to beg or struggle for scraps. I could control things. And in my world, that control—that power—it’s everything.”
• His voice softened as he glanced down at her. “I know what you think of this life. It’s dangerous, it’s cruel. And it changes you. There are things I’ve done, Susan, that…” His voice trailed off, the words left unspoken. She looked up, meeting his gaze, searching his eyes for something—regret, vulnerability, anything that made him more than just the cold exterior he showed the world.