Adam observed the landing of his words. He witnessed Sophia's mother's eyes light up as she realized how quickly her priorities had changed from supporting him to looking out for her kids.
He could see the tension on Sophia's face as her desire to argue clashed with the burden of responsibility he had just placed on her. He had just warned her that doing so would endanger her family, but she still wanted to fight for him to support him.
He had used her weakness as a weapon to coerce her into complying. It was a necessary but coldly manipulative move.
Something he could not quite put his finger on made him ache. A sincere affection for Sophia that was at once a strength and a weakness. He was aware that this emotion was shared.
He was aware that she liked him much more than she should to. That weakness was a drawback. Before it killed them both, he had to cauterize it. The nicest cruelty he could give was to make her live a normal life by forcing her to act normal.
