Adrian drew in a ragged breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly as he turned back to Maya.
"But do any of you know how far his obsession went? Do you know he followed me everywhere? Whenever it was time for me to visit you, Maya, it was always, 'Baby, don't go. Baby, stay. Baby, let her come here instead. Baby, I want you closer. Baby, I want you by my side.' Why?"
His voice broke.
"And I could never complain because everyone around me kept making me feel like he just loved me more than I loved him."
Adrian stepped into Matteo's space, his tear-filled eyes blazing with anger.
"Before we separated… tell them." His voice shook. "Tell them how many times you woke me up in the middle of the night just to decide whether I was allowed to go to my own art studio."
He jabbed a finger toward Matteo's chest.
"Go on… say it out loud. Tell them."
