Jason's POV
I drove to my office after leaving the station, the Manhattan skyline blurring into a jagged grey streak as I navigated the traffic with a reckless, white-knuckled intensity. The encounter with Stephan had left a bitter taste in my mouth—the taste of shifting loyalty. For the first time in years, the gears of the city felt like they were grinding against me instead of turning in my favor.
I retreated to the sanctuary of my private study, the heavy mahogany doors shutting out the hum of the Vanderbilt Tower. I sat behind my desk, the silence of the room feeling more like an ambush than a comfort. I needed a ghost. I needed the man who had lived in my shadow for a decade, the one who owed me every breath of his freedom.
I picked up the secure line and dialed Liam. I didn't wa
