Chapter 27: Morality of revenge
Louis met her gaze for a long moment, his expression unreadable, before he finally spoke, his voice colder than before.
"I don’t need to explain myself, Merlina. You know what happened to me. You know what Conor is capable of."
Merlina felt a flicker of doubt. Louis had been the one who had been wronged, but now, with the way he was speaking, she wasn’t sure if his desire for revenge had overtaken his need for justice.
"What I know," she said, her voice steady, "is that I don’t want this to be about getting even. I want it to be about finding out the truth about my mom."
Louis shifted uncomfortably, glancing away. Merlina’s words seemed to hit deeper than she had intended, but she couldn’t hold back now. She had to know what this was really about.
"I can’t promise you it’s not personal," he said after a long pause, his voice quieter, softer now, almost regretful. "But it’s not just about me. You know that."
Merlina nodded slowly, but a part of her wasn’t sure she believed him. She wanted to believe in his commitment to the truth, but something in his voice made her hesitate.
"Okay," she said quietly. "Then let’s focus on that. Let’s find out what really happened to my mom."
Louis didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he got up, pacing around the small living room. Merlina watched him, unsure of how to proceed. She had expected him to push back, to argue. But he didn’t. And that, in its own way, unsettled her.
Finally, he stopped and looked at her, his expression softening. "I don’t have proof that Conor was behind what happened to your mom. But what I do know is that Conor’s actions always have consequences. And people get hurt."
Merlina’s stomach tightened at the vulnerability in his voice. She could feel the weight of the emotion that hadn’t quite made it to the surface, like a pressure building inside him.