Chapter 61 Plans And Tactics

• Atticus wanted to be the alpha leader, the indomitable commander who inspired fear and respect. He had convinced himself that feelings like love, affection, or vulnerability would only weaken him, making him less capable of achieving his ambitions. To him, strength lay in the raw emotions of hatred, resentment, and pain—those that would drive him forward, regardless of the consequences.
• Atticus looked away from Serenity, feeling a mix of frustration and restlessness. She affected him in ways he couldn’t explain or understand. Her presence seemed to challenge the armor he had built around himself, creating cracks in his deepest convictions. The vulnerability he experienced around her disturbed him, and he couldn’t allow that to interfere with his quest for power.
• Without a word, he silently distanced himself from Serenity, as if escaping from something he couldn't face. The space he created between them was an attempt to protect himself, to restore the wall that kept him shielded from the emotions he saw as weakness.