The fear in his eyes.
I’d never seen him look like that before.
Not ever.
“He knew,” I whispered.
Rook nodded once.
“Yes.”
My throat tightened painfully.
“He was trying to protect me.”
The grief hit differently now.
Not just anger anymore.
Not betrayal.
Fear.
Dad had been terrified near the end.
Terrified and alone.
And somehow that hurt almost worse.
Hersh’s fingers brushed softly against the back of my neck.
Gentle.
Careful.
Like he understood exactly where my head had gone.
“You said Mercer used me as leverage,” Hersh said quietly to Rook.
Rook nodded once.
“Yes.”
“Then why wait sixteen years?”
Good question.
The room quieted again.
Rook looked toward the storm-dark windows briefly before answering.
“Because Mercer believed you were easier to control from a distance.”
“He watched you suffer.”
Cold slid straight through me.
“He watched you suffer,” Ava realized softly.
