Page 425 of Black Reign

Maybe worse in its own way.

“He knew every Blackwell protection detail for more than two decades.”

Senior's voice drops.

“I gave him access.”

Xavier says quietly, “You didn't know.”

“I should have.”

I understand that sentence.

I've said versions of it to myself about Papa for years.

I should have known he was afraid.

I should have known he was hiding something.

I should have asked more.

Guilt loves hindsight.

I squeeze Xavier's hand once, then stand.

“We found him.”

Senior looks at me.

“Your father found him.”

I stop.

“He built the system that made this possible.”

His eyes move toward the second key.

Then back to me.

“Adrien used to work exactly the way you just did.”

My throat tightens.

“You remember?”

“Yes.”

“He drove everyone insane.”

My mouth almost smiles.

“That sounds right.”

“He wouldn't follow architecture the way it was presented. He would ask why the architecture existed in the first place.”

Senior looks at the screens I dismantled and rebuilt around my own logic.

“He saw systems sideways.”