Azalea stood up and walked to the window. "The mission evolves. We need to protect Hazard King’s empire. Alpha and Maksim just took a hit tonight; they’re definitely going to come back hard."

"Lunel’s already on that," Liam pointed out. "Aylin. She’s teaming up with HK to secure his operations."

"I know," Azalea replied. "But we need to make sure it’s solid. And yes, I’m meeting Zayden today."

Liam blinked. "You’re what?"

Azalea turned, a mischievous look on her face. "I’m going to see my brother, and I’m going to have a sit-down with Lunel."

"Does Zayden even know you’re with Ghost Net?" Liam asked.

"Of course not. Only you and your dad know," Azalea said with a grin. "And it’ll stay that way. But I need to see what’s going on for myself and make sure my brother isn’t getting into trouble, especially with Lunel involved."

Liam shook his head. "This is nuts."

"Welcome to my life," Azalea shot back as she picked up her coat. "You should come with me. Meet them for real and apologize to Ayla."

Liam’s stomach twisted. "I don’t think I’m ready for that."

"You’ll never be ready," Azalea said straight up. "But you owe her the truth. Give yourself a shot at happiness."

She paused at the door. "Just think about it."

Then she was gone, leaving Liam alone with his thoughts.

*****

Somewhere in the city, Charles was sitting in the dark in his apartment, a nearly empty glass of whiskey in hand, staring off into space.

How did I let this slip by me?

Fifteen years of training. Fifteen years of reading people, spotting lies, and figuring out threats.

And he had trusted Alexander Kane, his best buddy, his partner in crime.

The guy who had "saved" him.

The guy who had shown him "proof" of Marcus’s betrayal.

The guy who had been right there with him, guiding him, backing him up, telling him exactly what he wanted to hear.

It had all been Alexander’s game the whole time.

Charles slammed the glass down, whiskey spilling over the side.

He had blamed Marcus. He had hated him. He had even gone after his innocent daughters.

And for what reason?

Because Alexander had pulled his strings like a puppet.

"Why?" Charles whispered into the quiet room. "What was your deal with this, Alexander? What did you hope to get out of it?"

But Alexander was nowhere to be found.

He was out there, hiding, watching, probably laughing at the mess he had caused.

Charles stood up and started pacing, fists clenched.

He would track him down.

He would get the answers he needed.

And he was going to make Alexander pay for every lie, every trick, and every life that got messed up.

But first,

He looked at the photo on his desk. Liam, young, smiling, before everything went sideways.

I’ve got to fix this. I need to set things right.

Starting with my son.

*****

Later that afternoon at Zayden’s place, the lounge was light and warm, but the vibe was low-key.

Ayla was all curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, looking small and fragile. Zayden was nearby, looking protective, while Reyes stood by the window, arms crossed and keeping watch.

Zayden tried to keep things light. "So, when Aylin first showed up, she said she’d hack my phone to make it blast polka music."

Ayla managed a tiny smile, even though her eyes seemed lost. "Sounds just like her."

"She’s downstairs now," Zayden continued gently. "Working with Leo. Trying to figure out—" He paused, realizing that mentioning Liam might do more harm than good.

"Trying to figure out why Liam took off," Ayla finished quietly.

Zayden’s jaw tightened. "We’ll get to the bottom of it. I promise."

Just then, the door swung open.

Everyone turned to look.

Azalea walked in looking stylish and confident, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention.

Zayden stood there, taken aback. "Azalea? What are you doing here?"

She grinned, playful and bright. "Can’t a sister check in on her brother, especially when he’s keeping secrets?"

Zayden’s face changed, a mix of caution and warmth. "I’m not hiding anything."

"Right." Azalea scanned the room until her eyes landed on Ayla. She strolled over, her smile softening. "You must be Ayla. I’m Azalea, Zayden’s twin sister. I’m really sorry for what you’re going through."

Ayla nodded, feeling a lump in her throat. "Thanks."

Azalea gracefully took a seat. "I know this isn’t the greatest time, but I wanted to meet the woman who’s been staying with my brother. And..." She paused. "I wanted to meet Aylin. Is she here?"

Zayden hesitated. "She’s working. Downstairs."

"Can I meet her?" Azalea’s eyes lit up with genuine interest. "I’ve heard a lot about her."

Zayden pulled out his phone and texted Leo: Bring Aylin up. My sister wants to see her.

Five minutes later, the hidden elevator beeped, and Aylin came out with Leo behind her. She looked tired but determined, her laptop tucked under her arm.

She quickly spotted Ayla. "You good?"

"I’m fine," Ayla replied softly.

Then Aylin noticed Azalea in the room.

Azalea stood, extending her hand with a warm, sincere smile. "You must be Aylin. I’m Azalea, Zayden’s sister."

Aylin shook her hand, feeling an odd sense of familiarity. "Nice to meet you."

Azalea’s smile turned playful. "So you’re the one who snagged my brother’s heart? I have to say, I’m impressed. He can be tough to handle."

Aylin blushed. "I didn’t steal anything."

"Oh, come on," Azalea laughed. "He’s been a pain for years. You’ve made him almost normal. That’s a big deal."

Zayden groaned. "Zariaaa..."

"What? It’s true!" She winked at Aylin. "Keep him grounded. He needs it."

Laughter spread through the room, even Ayla managing a real smile for the first time since Liam left.

But behind Azalea’s playful vibe, she was assessing everything.

So this is Lunel, the hacker who took down empires, the woman my brother loves. And she has no clue who I really am.

This is about to get pretty interesting.

If Azalea knows all their secrets... how long until the truth blows everything up?