Page 294 of Black Reign

Whether I am real.

Whether this was ever safe.

My father is turning the only thing she trusted into an operation.

“No.”

His brows draw together.

“No what?”

“You're wrong.”

“Prove it.”

“Timeline.”

“Again—”

“She had access to me when I had nothing useful to offer her.”

“You always had something useful.”

“She didn't know my name.”

“You believe that.”

“I know it.”

“How?”

I stare at him.

Because Vesper could have destroyed me more than once if the relationship had been operational.

She knew vulnerabilities.

Emotional ones.

Moments when I was angry.

Distracted.

Drinking.

She knew when I traveled before she knew where.

She knew how I thought.

If her objective were Xavier Blackwell, she had years to push Ghost toward exposure.

She never did.

She protected the wall between us as fiercely as I did.

Even when it hurt both of us.

Especially then.