Jasmine's POV
I stood on the edge of the rooftop and felt the city breath under me. Night lights flickered like tired stars. The hum below was steady… cars, distant music, a city that never quite stopped. My pulse matched it, steady and sharp.
Leonard had left hours ago. He wanted to chase leads, to run more scans, to pull threads in public light where they were safer.
He said as much before he walked out of my office, a coffee-stained thumbs-up and a warning lodged under his breath.
"Don't go in alone, Jas." He'd smiled like he was trying to keep me from being reckless and confident at the same time.
I stared down at the river of lights and thought about the warning like it was a dare. Leonard would have followed, of course. He would not let me slip into a server room by myself. He would have argued until I gave in. He cared too much to let me risk it. I knew that. I also knew exactly why I couldn't let him come.
