I watch Zack shift nervously on the pew, his hands drumming lightly against his knees. The dim church lights cast shadows across the wooden panels, stretching long and uneven across the floor. Calm. That's what I need. Calm, precise. Every gesture, every word, every pause counts.
"Zack," I begin softly, voice steady, measured. "Tell me… what made you decide… now? What pushed you to step away from everything?"
He exhales, fingers twisting nervously. "I… I don't know. I just… felt it. Like I couldn't keep going the way I had been. Something snapped."
I nod slowly, letting the silence stretch. "Snap… that's important. Very important. And do you understand what that really means? Fully? That your lifestyle… everything you've known… it's all about to change?"
He swallows hard, eyes flicking toward the stained glass, then back to me. "Yeah… I know. It's huge. Scary. I've been thinking about it nonstop. I can't… I just can't go back to it."
"And the life you've built," I continue, voice soft, almost conversational, "the habits, the luxuries, the people… do you know you'll have to let all of that go? Completely?"
His jaw tightens. "I know. I'm… I'm not ready. But I can't go back."
I let a shadow of curiosity slip into my tone. "And how prepared are you for that? Really prepared? Not just the debt—the isolation, the scrutiny, the changes. Mentally, spiritually… emotionally. Do you even have a plan?"
He shifts uneasily. "I… I'll figure it out. I just want… to get out. Out of there. Out of all of it. And… I want Scarlett to come with me. Away from it. She doesn't deserve this life either."
The word deserve lingers between us. I let the silence stretch, letting him sink further into his confession.
"Scarlett…" I say casually, leaning slightly forward. "Yes. Tell me… how well do you know her? When did you meet her? You dated, yes, but do you… truly know her?"
He exhales, bitter almost. "I think I do. We've known each other for years. But… she's complicated. Smart. Strong. Not easy to sway. Never has been."
I keep my tone deceptively light. "And yet… she might be your key. Could she… help you? Financially, practically… could she lean in? Or would that come with conditions?"
He hesitates, then admits, almost reluctantly, "I could ask… but she wouldn't do it for free. She'd want something in return. If I don't want to be in the industry, she'd want me in hers. OnlyFans. Content. Collaborations."
I nod slowly, pretending to consider it. "Ah. So she'd help… only if there's an exchange. Transactional. Understandable. And you… are you willing to meet her terms?"
He runs a hand through his hair. "I don't want to. I just… I need a way out. For both of us. But I don't know if I can compromise like that."
I let a faint, almost imperceptible smile touch my lips. "Compromise… yes. That's life. Sometimes you do what you must to protect what matters most."
He nods, tension easing slightly. "Exactly. That's all I want. Out. Free. And to take Scarlett with me. Away from everything that's… wrong."
I lean in slightly, voice low, measured. "And what about you? Are you truly ready? Physically, mentally, spiritually… emotionally? To walk away from everything and start over?"
He swallows, gaze dropping. "I… I think I am. I don't have a choice anymore."
I let him feel the weight of the question. Then I push, subtly, carefully. "And Scarlett… if you could reach her, convince her… would you? No hesitation?"
He looks up, almost desperate. "Yes. I'd do anything. I just… want her safe. Away from it all."
Perfect. Every response shapes my plan. Every confession reveals the cracks, the lines he won't cross, the ones he might.
"And if she refuses?" I ask lightly, voice calm.
He exhales sharply. "Then… I find another way. But I need her. I can't do this alone."
I note the desperation in his voice, the vulnerability. Inside, a part of me tightens. Because while Zack talks about Scarlett… I can't stop thinking about her too. How she moves, how she speaks, what she values… and now how close he is to her, how easily he could reach her.
"Very well, Zack," I say finally, masking everything. "Here's what we'll do. You need to fly back to New York, start liquidating what you can—properties, assets, anything that reduces the debt. I'll also speak to my father… see what the church can do for you."
Relief floods his face. "Thank you… I don't know what I'd do without guidance."
I smile faintly, calm, collected. Inside, though, my plan is forming. Scarlett, her routines, her habits, her money, her values—every detail I've quietly extracted will guide the next move.
The church will help Zack. But I? I'm watching, calculating, waiting. And the thought of Scarlett… her life, her power, what she values—tightens something inside me I don't fully understand yet.
Because while I help Zack survive… I can't let anyone else have her. Not really. Not now. Not ever.
And as Zack rises, thanking me again, I let my gaze linger on him, noting every detail—the tension in his shoulders, the way he hesitated over Scarlett, the cracks in his confidence. All pieces of a puzzle.
Outside, the night presses in. The air smells faintly of rain, the wet earth clinging to the churchyard stones. I pull my coat tighter, feeling the chill, feeling the thrill. This is no longer about Zack. This is about Scarlett. About control, strategy, anticipation.
And I will win.
Because while Zack may have fled his old life, I will make sure Scarlett cannot.
Not until I decide.
Not until I'm ready.
Not until it suits me.