Vanessa didn’t tell Adrian what she found. Not yet. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she wasn’t sure she fully understood it herself. The phrase still echoed in her mind like a warning she couldn’t unhear.
“Primary authority reserved under designated controller: E. Carter.”
She sat in silence on the edge of the bed, phone still open in her hand, the screen dimming and brightening as it timed out and woke again under her restless grip. “E. Carter…” she murmured. It didn’t feel like a normal name anymore. It felt like a locked door and Vanessa hated locked doors. Especially ones that seemed to decide her fate without her permission.
By morning, she had already made a decision. She would not ask Adrian. Not yet, because Adrian was no longer thinking clearly. That much was obviou
