"…What if he just leaves the both of us instead?" she asked, hating the slight tone of hope she could hear in her own voice as she spoke. The words slipped out before she could stop them, betraying something fragile she didn't want to acknowledge.
"There's nothing that stops him from leaving," Elder Bellini pointed out calmly. As he spoke, she saw his expression shift, taking on a more sly, calculated look. He pointed at the papers she had placed on the stool beside her—specifically toward the other pages that explained the agreement in more technical, legal terms.
"Hidden in those lines is a clause," he continued, tapping the document lightly, "that for me to continue holding on to the shares, he has to live with his child and for no reason let the child go until he or she is an adult."
A sly smile spread across his face as he finished speaking.
