CHAPTER 15: GIGI

Restless, Gigi pretends to sleep until Savannah leaves the loft. She sneaks to the door and listens as Rohan greets Savannah. Their banter reveals Rohan’s traumatic past and a coded reference to the Mercy, raising Gigi’s curiosity and concern.

When Savannah challenges Rohan’s motives, he states his endgame: to win leadership of the Mercy; if he fails, leadership defaults to the duchess. Savannah accuses him of using people and demands he promise not to use Gigi as bait. Rohan warns that exposing one’s weakness is dangerous but gives his word.

Gigi aches at being treated as a liability yet stays silent to avoid conflict with Savannah. She returns to the loft, wrestling with feelings of inadequacy—believing she’s seen as endearing but not formidable—and resists the urge to mope.

In the dark, Gigi whispers to the unseen presence she has often sensed, recalling Mattias Slater’s earlier reassurance that she is already strong. Steeling herself, she focuses on the calla lily clues and, in defiance, mentally throws down a challenge—asserting her strength and refusing to seek permission—directed at fate and the Watcher.