Page 462 of Scars of Fate

Elena returned to Geneva after completing rehabilitation. Roth had attempted to convince her to retire.

She responded by accepting a position overseeing security reform for three international banks.

Roth no longer offered career advice.

Leyla took control of her father’s remaining Aegis research. Every viable biological countermeasure was released to public-health agencies around the world.

The Fate source code, connected research, and remaining biological units were gone.

No surviving Fate material remained hidden in Meridian vaults.

Wynn helped make certain of that.

Her investigation appeared in newspapers across twelve countries.

She refused every award nomination.

Then she accepted one after I pointed out that the ceremony was being held in a city with excellent restaurants.

She still traveled.

So did I.

The difference was that we always knew where the other person was going.

And we always came home.

Wynn reached the end of the aisle.

Adam placed her hand in mine.

“If you lose her again,” he said quietly, “I’m keeping her.”

“I heard that,” Raine called.

Everyone laughed.

Wynn smiled up at me.

“No chance,” I said.

The ceremony was short.

The promises weren’t.

I didn’t promise to keep Wynn safe.

That was impossible.

She was a journalist with no sense of self-preservation and a gift for finding the most dangerous person in any country.

Instead, I promised never to use love as an excuse for silence.

Never to make her choices for her.

Never to walk away because fear convinced me it was protection.

Wynn promised to tell me before entering hostile territory.