Chapter 76: The Weight of Silence
Ghost had always been a mystery.
Maya had accepted that. She'd learned to read his silences, to understand that his presence was enough, that he didn't need to fill the space with words. He was the shadow in the corner, the quiet protector, the one who watched and waited and never asked for anything in return. She'd grown used to his stillness, his careful distance. She'd grown to trust him, to love him, even without knowing the full story of who he was. She'd thought that was enough. She'd thought that respecting his silence was the best way to honor him. She'd thought that giving him space was the same as giving him love.
She'd been wrong.
She thought about all the nights he'd stood guard over the bar, his pale eyes scanning the darkness. She thought
