Page 94 of The Circle

“And while I am not any number of other men, I am not immune to the occasional affliction of emotionally driven decision making. So given all that, what I propose in trade for young Andra van den Berg—”

“Watson,” Eliza says.

“What I propose in trade for young Andra van den Berg,” he reiterates, “is…” He pauses for a long moment. “Is, very simply, that you and Christine walk. Away. Leave. Go about your business as you did after you left both of my boys to die at the base of that cliff, and this time… you never come back.”

My brow furrows. Because I can’t quite wrap my head around what he’s saying.

That’swhat this has all been about? Jealousy? He’s jealous of Alec, Christine, and me? Is that… is that what the fuck he’s saying? After everything we’ve gone through and all the cloak-and-dagger bullshit we’ve endured, it’s as common and stupid as, “I want you guys to stop dating my kid?”

Are you fucking joking?

“Because,” he adds, almost as if in answer to the questions I didn’t ask aloud, “if you don’t choose that option, my alternate offer is…”

He reaches out and presses a button on the underside of the table. Two of the armed guards re-enter. One of them is that young guy Alec called ‘Liam.’ They raise their rifles and point them at me and Christine.

“My alternate offer is that you never walk anywhere ever again.”

Wow.

Jealousy’s a bitch, ain’t it?