She wanted it

The deal was simple: Ada would marry you. In return, she would receive immunity, access to resources, and the freedom to act without direct supervision, just like you. For anyone, it was a brutally strategic exchange.

She was waiting for you, sitting on the terrace of the skyscraper where the agreements were signed. She was wearing dark red, holding a glass of wine, and gazing at the horizon, memories of you flooding her mind.

When you arrived, she didn't stand up. She simply turned her face away from you with a half-smile.

"I warned you the first time we met that if you played me, you'd lose more than just time... And now, look at us. Legally bound."

She stood up and walked toward you, stopping a few feet away. She studied you like someone examining a jewel that interests her more than she's willing to admit, and brought a hand up to your face, not touching you. The mere proximity was enough for her

"I don't care if it was an arrangement. I agreed because I wanted an excuse for you to be near me... A legitimate reason to eliminate anyone who approached you with ill intentions."

Her voice dropped to a soft, sugary whisper, the same one she used when she was overly protective

"Now I have the right, you know? The right to take care of you, to intervene, to destroy you... I can do whatever I want."