Chapter 78

AUTHOR'S POV

"You know what he is, yet you bring him close to you,"

Father Martin exhaled more out of boredom than exasperation. It wasn't that he hadn't heard this before. He listened to it so much the repetition could be akin to a broken record.

Whenever the topic arose, his response remained consistent, effortlessly escaping his lips: "He's the type of person for whom Jesus sacrificed, Deacon Armando."

"Martin, that boy is bad news." Armando's voice held disdain, disdain so firm it was almost contempt, "I would not have said anything if he were still fifteen, but now..."

"But now?" Father Martin raised a brow.

"Now he's old enough to make those choices, old enough to protect his virtues and even die on them,"

Martin said nothing, scribbling reports on a paper, out of touch with reality and a head filled with thoughts. Armando was right in his way, Depending on how he looked at it.

Considering he wasn't here that day twelve years ago when the boy snuck into the church, sitting in