It had been an operation, run against him and against his child, by two people discussing them like a problem to be solved.

Chapter 17 — Right Where I Want Him

But the most damning file had been recorded seven months earlier, when Marcus and Sarah had been married for less than ninety days.

Sarah was in the home office, on a video call with Julian.

“I can’t rush this,” she was saying into her headset.

“He still treats everything Hannah left behind like a sanctuary.” And Julian’s voice came back through the speaker: “That’s why you take it slow.

If you push too hard on the kid early on, you’ll alienate Marcus.” And Sarah had laughed, softly.