It was clarity.
He had arranged things so that when everyone believed there was nothing left, I could see exactly who remained beside me.
That knowledge hurt more than the debt ever did.
But it also saved me from surrendering my future out of guilt.
Before leaving, I locked the Ford and slid the key back beneath the bumper where Robert had always hidden it.
Then I smiled despite myself.
“Everything was under control,” I whispered.
For once, I finally understood what he had meant.
