The door opened with a cautious creak.

Two armed guys stood next to a hooded woman as she walked in by herself, hands visible and looking totally calm, almost like she was just walking into a coffee shop instead of a mafia den.

Zayden, his voice low and intimidating, was the first to speak up. "Who are you?"

The woman slowly pulled back her hood, showing off soft, innocent features. She looked to be in her mid-30s, pretty in a girl-next-door kind of way, with cute dimples and warm eyes that sparkled despite the tense vibe in the room. Her sweet, disarming smile spread across her face.

Zayden froze, recognition hitting him hard. "Sarah?"

She nodded, her dimples getting deeper as her smile widened. "Yeah, Z. It’s been a minute."

Aylin gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, her golden-brown eyes wide with shock. "William’s wife?"

Sarah’s smile turned warm and motherly. "Sharp as ever, Lunel. Or should I say... Aylin?"

Leo shifted uncomfortably, his hand reaching for his gun, while Reyes did the same, silent but ready.

Zayden narrowed his eyes, suspicion thick in the air and anger bubbling just below the surface. "How the hell did you find this place? And where’s your daughter? Why did you come alone? Talk."

Sarah let out a light, melodic laugh, like a breeze cutting through the tension. It eased things up a bit, her cute dimples flashing innocently. "Whoa, everyone, chill. Take a breath. Ella’s safe with some trusted friends. No one’s messing with her. I came by myself because... this is personal. And I figured you’d have questions."

She tilted her head, her innocent expression curious. "But first... I know you, Hazard King. Zayden, mafia heart. You want to ditch the mask, or should I spill more? Like how you kept that forest cabin a secret from your own crew?"

Zayden’s breath caught, shock flowing through him. He ripped off the mask, revealing his face, anger flaring up. "How do you know that?"

Sarah turned to Aylin, her smile softening, almost affectionate. "You too, sweetheart. Lunel, Aylin Monroe Alston. The hacker who brings down empires. Masks off, let’s keep it real."

Aylin’s eyes widened even more as she slowly took off her mask, her voice a whisper of disbelief. "You... know my full name? How?"

Sarah nodded, looking over at Leo and Reyes with that same cute, disarming grin. "All of you, masks down. Do I need to send out invites? I’ve been watching long enough to know you all by your coffee orders since I gave Aylin a job. Leo, black with no sugar. Reyes, herbal tea, since caffeine makes you jittery."

Leo blinked, his hand frozen mid-reach for his gun. "What the...?"

Reyes’s serious face cracked just a little, a slight twitch giving away his surprise.

Zayden nodded sharply, calculating. "Go for it."

The masks dropped onto the table, clattering like old armor tossed aside.

Sarah’s grin widened, her dimples popping adorably. "So much better. Now we can chat like grown-ups."

Aylin stepped up, her voice sharp and fierce like a lioness, cutting through her surprise. "What job? You said you’ve been watching since you gave me a role. What are you getting at?"

Sarah’s eyes sparkled with a cute, knowing look. "Oh, you’re the eager one. Let me introduce myself properly. I used to be with Ghost Net, or more like, I pretended to be. Actually, I’m Black Panther. Ghost Net Assistant and Sarah William Arthur."

Gasps spread around the room. Leo nearly choked on the air, Reyes tightened his grip on his gun, and Zayden narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Aylin gasped even louder. "Black Panther? The handler who gave me those trial gigs? So that was not directly from GhostNet?"

Sarah nodded, her smile turning emotional, tears glistening in her warm eyes. "Yep. And I’ve been pulling strings from behind the scenes way longer than you think."

Leo leaned in, serious but throwing in a tease to lighten things up. "Black Panther? I thought that was just a myth, like the Tooth Fairy but with better hacking skills."

Sarah laughed, bubbly and light, her dimples flashing adorably. "A myth? Flattering. But I’m totally real. And Leo, your coffee is way too bitter. Maybe add some sugar once in a while. Life’s too short."

Leo blushed, looking embarrassed. "How do you know that?"

Reyes, gruff and serious, jumped in, "Enough with the games. How did you find us? This place was supposed to be off the radar."

Sarah tilted her innocent face, cute as a button. "I have my ways." She said softly, "I’ve been tracking again since Aylin’s server pinged last week.

Aylin stiffened, Sarah’s gaze shifted to her, and she continued, "But this didn’t start from there.

She took a slow breath, "I knew right from the start that Michael had taken William. I pretended to buy his story about a ’government arrest.’

She paused, smiled touched her lips, "He was always a smooth talker who forced me into the marriage. He played the perfect husband, with sweet gestures, flowers, and nice dinners. But I never forgot; each smile hid a monster."

Zayden leaned in, serious. "You went along with it?"

Sarah nodded, her voice steady but showing old pain. "I had to. To stay safe, for my daughter. Three years in, I found papers and photos of teenage girls in his office, proof of trafficking. He hadn’t changed at all. He completely fooled me. So... revenge started brewing."

Aylin cut in, sharp and urgent. "What do you mean by ’my daughter’? Isn’t she Michael’s daughter?"

Sarah shook her head, tears welling up, but her smile stayed soft. "No, she’s mine and William’s. Michael has no idea that Ella isn’t his. I never told him. He thinks she’s his and has raised her like his own."

Zayden furrowed his brows, serious. "Does William know he has a daughter?"

Sarah shook her head again, her voice cracking. "No. I was going to tell him... and then he got kidnapped. I never got the chance."

Zayden pressed her, calculating, "Michael didn’t see you were pregnant when he married you?"

Sarah forced a sad smile, her dimples fading. "No. He was too caught up in surgeries and starting his ’legit’ business. He totally missed the signs. And—"

She let out a shaky breath, "I thanked my lucky stars every day because if he’d known it was William’s child... I can’t even imagine what he would have done. So I kept it to myself. Eventually, I told him I was pregnant with ’his’ baby. He totally bought it."

Aylin leaned in closer, her voice soft but curious. "Didn’t he question the delivery? Like, the timing, the early birth—"