THE WAR council room was quiet now, but the echoes of the network’s chatter still vibrated faintly through the monitors.
Jeremiah sat in the corner, his back against the wall, phone in hand, headset slightly askew. He was supposed to be reviewing contingency plans with Ayden, but his mind wasn’t on the tactical details. Not really.
He stared at the floor, jaw tight, trying to track thoughts that refused to stay obedient. Fear. Guilt. Anticipation. And beneath all of it, something he hadn’t let himself admit fully.
Lily.
She had been there earlier, insisting on presence, insisting on facing everything head-on. He had relented, but only because she had made the argument too convincingly to deny. Still, he hadn’t admitted it even to himself—the truth of what she had done to him emotional
