Emma laughed once, sharp and broken. Her gaze dropped to the box, then lifted back to Vincent. “You underestimated me. You didn’t think I’d check.” Vincent stepped closer, hands raised, his voice cracking under the weight of his own excuses.
“I was trying to protect us. You don’t understand how bad it got.” Emma’s composure finally shattered. “If you cared about our safety,” she snapped, “you never would’ve gotten involved with people like him in the first place.” The church felt smaller now. Colder.