Lucas looked grim. "Unless they know exactly how to slip out unnoticed."

Zayden pulled out his phone again. "Leo. Get here. Now."

By the time Leo showed up fifteen minutes later, Ayla was really freaking out.

She was pacing the living room like she was stuck in a cage, tears streaming down her face. "He wouldn’t just leave. He wouldn’t do that to me. Something’s happened to him!"

Aylin grabbed her mid-ste, pulling her into a tight hug. "Ayla, take a breath—"

"He’s gone!" Ayla cried on her sister’s shoulder. "He’s just gone, and I have no idea where he is! What if something really bad happened—"

"We’ll find him," Aylin said firmly, even though her own mind was racing with darker thoughts.

Leo burst in through the front door, tablet in hand, and Reyes followed him right after.

"CCTV footage," Leo said quickly, already pulling up files. "Let’s see what we’ve got."

They crowded around as Leo fast-forwarded through hours of security footage.

2:00 AM. Nothing.

2:30 AM. Nothing.

2:47 AM—

"There." Zayden pointed.

Leo stopped the frame and zoomed in.

A shadow—barely visible and so faint it could’ve just been a trick of the light—slid by the kitchen entrance. One frame. Then it was gone.

"Back it up," Zayden ordered.

Leo rewound the footage and played it again in slow motion.

The shadow popped up for exactly three frames—it looked human and was carrying something.

Then it totally disappeared, slipping into a spot the camera shouldn’t have missed.

"Damn," Leo muttered. "He figured out the security system."

"He’s trained," Reyes said, his voice steady and sure. "Military level, maybe even better."

Zayden’s face was unreadable. "He played us."

Aylin glanced at Ayla, her heart aching at the devastation on her sister’s face. "Ayla—"

"No." Ayla pulled away, shaking her head like crazy. "No, you’re wrong. Liam wouldn’t do that—he saved me! He’s been by my side for three years! He wouldn’t just—"

Her voice cracked, and she broke down in tears.

Aylin pulled her close again, running her fingers through her hair. "Shh. It’s alright. We’ll figure this out."

But over Ayla’s shoulder, Aylin caught Zayden’s gaze.

He’s a threat. He’s linked to something. And we can’t tell what side he’s on.

Zayden looked furious.

Aylin gently guided Ayla toward the dining room. "Come on. You need to eat something. We can’t think straight on empty stomachs."

"I’m not hungry—"

"I get it, but you need your strength." Aylin’s tone was soft but firm. "Just sit down. We’ll bring you something light, okay? Just... give us a few minutes."

Ayla nodded numbly, letting herself be led away.

Once she was out of earshot, Aylin turned back to Zayden and Leo, her expression determined.

"Find everything," Zayden ordered, his voice low and serious. "Every record, every alias, every connection. I want to know who Liam really is, where he came from, what he wants with us, and why he was with Ayla."

"On it," Leo said, already typing away.

Aylin moved closer to Zayden. "I have a feeling he’s connected to something bigger. Something that ties back to us."

Zayden nodded grimly. "I think so too."

*****

In a run-of-the-mill office building, Liam stepped out of the elevator and walked into a plain white hallway.

At the end of the hall, a door swung open.

A woman walked out, her face covered by a sleek black mask that hid everything above her nose. Only her eyes showed—sharp, calculating, and icy.

"You’re late," she said.

"I left Ayla," Liam replied, his voice flat. "I’m not going back to her. She’s probably heartbroken right now, but that’s just how our job is."

The woman tilted her head. "Good. In our line of work, love doesn’t matter. You get that?"

"I get it."

"What about Lunel? What’s she up to?"

Liam followed her as she moved down the hall. "She’s with a guy named Zayden. He’s a businessman. Very wealthy. He needs her protection, so she’s helping him secure his operations."

The corners of the woman’s eyes crinkled—a hint of a smile hidden behind the mask.

"Nice," she said softly. "She’s a smart woman. Zayden’s a good fit for her."

Liam frowned. "Do you know Zayden?"

She stopped and faced him. "That’s not for you to know." Her voice was friendly, but there was a sharp edge to it. "Let’s get back to business."

She led him into a big room loaded with screens everywhere. Data streamed across them—maps, pictures, and encrypted messages.

The woman walked over to a table in the corner, poured herself a glass of water, and took a slow sip before continuing.

"This," she pointed to one of the screens, "is Selina."

A stunning woman with dark hair and red lipstick stared back from the photo.

"And next to her," the masked woman continued, switching to the next image, "is Maksim Karza, known in the underworld as the Scorpion of Ruin."

She tapped another screen. "And on the left is Michael Arthur, also known as Alpha Dark."

Liam looked closely at the images. "Thanks to Lunel, we finally confirmed who they are. Alpha had so many surgeries that we couldn’t tell what he looks like now."

The woman nodded and went back to the main console to pull up another file.

"The focus here is William Arthur, Michael Arthur’s brother."

She paused, took a sip of water, and set the glass down carefully.

"He got kidnapped and locked up for eleven years by his own brother. Everyone thought he was dead."

"But he’s not," Liam shot back.

"Nope. He was just rescued by Lunel and Hazard King."

She pulled up a blurry photo of someone in full tactical gear, his face completely covered by a mask, even hiding his hair.

"We still can’t figure out who Hazard King is. No one has ever seen his face. At every underworld meet, he always wears this." She pointed at the masked figure. "Completely covered. Even his hair is hidden."

Liam leaned in closer. "So we don’t know anything about HK."

"Not for now," the woman said, keeping her tone calm. "But Lunel is our ace. If anyone can get close enough to reveal his identity, it’s her."

Liam crossed his arms. "So what’s my job now?"

The masked woman turned all the way to face him, her eyes unreadable behind the black fabric.

"I’ll let you know," she said. "But first, go eat something. You look terrible."

Liam nodded and started to head out.

Just as he reached the door, her voice stopped him.

"Liam."

He glanced back.

"Don’t underestimate Zayden or Lunel. They’re sharper than you think." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Got it," he replied, and the door clicked shut behind him.

Left alone in the room, the masked woman was surrounded by screens and secrets. She pulled out a burner phone and typed a quick message:

"Phase Two initiated. The Ghost is in play."

After hitting send, she watched the message disappear.

A guy came out from a hidden door and hugged her from behind. She took his hand and leaned her head back against his chest, feeling relaxed. Then she took off her mask and revealed her face.

"Just know, whatever you want to do with Lunel, go ahead, but don’t hurt my brother; he’s got nothing to do with this," she said.

He responded, "Relax. I’m only after Lunel, Aylin Monroe Alston. If you hadn’t been there that day, I definitely would’ve died." He then pulled off his own mask, revealing a face everyone thought was dead.