Chapter 38. The Ghost Node

Before dawn, Harper stepped into the glass-walled Council chamber, the skyline behind her burning in early light. Her reflection looked back at her—sharp eyes, anchored spine, the quiet calculation of a woman who’d been forged by secrets and kept moving anyway.

The velvet-wrapped ribbon rested beside her laptop on the conference table—visible, intentional. Not worn. Carried.

Knox entered behind her, a silent anchor in a storm of unknowns. He took his seat beside her, his hand brushing hers beneath the table.

The Council members trickled in: investor proxies, Selene Mara, Arthur Devereaux—who placed an antique ledger before him like a statement of legacy.

Lilah arrived last.

Her face was composed, but Harper caught the subtle delay in her blink, the weight in her step. Lilah crossed to the far side of the table, nodding once before sitting. Her expression was measured. Guarded.

Harper stood. “Council,” she began, voice calm but cut from steel, “we