"Do you even see them as people?" I whispered. "Or are they just numbers on a spreadsheet? A cost to be cut, a line to be eliminated, a problem to be solved by making them disappear?"He flinched. Actually flinched, like I'd struck him. And for a moment, I thought I saw something break behind those careful eyes."You know that's not true.""Do I?" My voice was cracking now, the fury giving way to something rawer, something that hurt even more. "Because right now, all I see is a man who's willing to let people die because it's not profitable enough to keep them alive. All I see is a man who held me in his arms last night, who told me he was afraid of losing me, who made me believe—" I stopped, swallowed, forced the words out. "Made me believe he was someone he's not.""That's not—" He stopped, took a breath, visibly collected himself. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, more controlled, but I could hear the effort it cost him. "There are factors you don't understand. Contracts.
Last Updated : 2026-05-10 Read more