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That stops me.
“What happened?”
Her jaw tightens.
For the first time—
I see it.
Not just control.
Not just strategy.
Loss.
“They’re already compromised,” she says quietly.
That lands.
Hard.
No backup.
No safe handoff.
No one to trust.
Except—
Me.
Whether she likes it or not.
I lean forward slightly.
Not as close as before.
But close enough.
“You’re not doing this alone anymore,” I say.
She watches me.
Searching.
Measuring.
Deciding.
“…Lord, I don’t like this…” she mutters.
I catch that one.
“What don’t you like?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer right away.
Then—
