Well, she really did sound like she wanted it—like deep down, she genuinely wished to see me succeed, to watch me rise and conquer this entire world, to make it mine piece by piece. It made me wonder... how would someone like her, who had always been there on the sidelines, quietly watching, secretly rooting for me, actually feel if I finally pulled it off? If I actually achieved something that grand?
"But what would be in it for me, though?" I asked, my tone casual, though my eyes stayed sharp on her.
