Zion's POV
The silence hung heavy in the air as Windsor disappeared through the office door, leaving Scarlett and me alone in the aftermath of our conversation. I turned to face the woman who held our fate in her hands, gratitude swelling in my chest.
"Thank you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What you're doing for us means everything. We both know the risks you're taking."
Scarlett had laid out the brutal reality moments before - the political minefield we were about to walk through, the enemies we would make, the lives that could be destroyed. Yet here she sat, composed and resolute, ready to stand beside us despite it all. The weight of her sacrifice wasn't lost on me.
She remained seated behind her mahogany desk, spine rigid, arms crossed defensively across her chest. Her dark eyes studied me with an intensity that made me shift in my chair.
"You don't need to thank me," she replied curtly.
