Chapter 13 - Tristan Refused to Pretend His Slap Was Heroic
Tristan’s attorney warned him that the slap mattered.
Selene had been restraining Piper.
Tristan was justified in removing his daughter.
Once Piper was behind him, however, the immediate physical threat had ended.
Then Tristan struck Selene.
During questioning he did not embellish.
“I slapped her.”
“Why?”
“I was furious.”
“Was Piper safe at that point?”
“Yes.”
“Then it wasn’t necessary to protect the child?”
“No.”
He accepted the distinction.
Selene’s later criminal exposure did not retroactively make his slap appropriate.
That lesson mattered deeply because Piper had watched him.
Months later she asked:
“Did you hit Selene because she was bad?”
Tristan answered:
“I hit her because I lost my temper.”
“Was that okay?”
“No.”
Piper looked confused.
“But you saved me.”
“Yes.”
“Both?”
“Both.”
That was important.
People could do the right thing and still make a wrong choice inside it.
Tristan did not want Piper growing up believing good people were allowed to hurt anyone they labeled bad.
Selene had already lived by a version of that logic.
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He refused to pass it down.
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