They left the villa without another word.
The drive back was silent.
Heavy.
Different.
Emily stared out the window, mind racing.
Finally—
"He's not trying to kill us," she said.
Alexander didn't look at her.
"He is."
"No," Emily insisted.
"He's trying to break you."
Silence.
Then:
"And he thinks I'm the way to do it."
Alexander's hands tightened slightly on the wheel.
"Yes."
Emily turned toward him.
"So what happens if he's right?"
That made him look at her.
Sharp.
Immediate.
"He's not."
Emily held his gaze.
"You didn't answer the question."
The car slowed.
Stopped.
Not at the mansion.
Not anywhere planned.
Just—
Stopped.
Alexander turned fully toward her.
His voice low.
Controlled.
But barely.
"He's wrong because you're not a weakness."
A pause.
Then—
"You're the reason I win."