In the lounge, when Zayden and Aylin walked back in, the vibe felt way lighter.

Liam and Ayla were sprawled on one of the comfy sofas, their heads close together as they whispered. The earlier tension between them seemed to have blown over, replaced by shy smiles and soft laughs.

Reyes had already bailed, leaving his shift to the night crew.

Leo was on the other sofa, fiddling with a tablet, his brow furrowed as if he were deep into something tricky.

Zayden’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and his expression shifted, getting serious.

It was Selina.

He made his way over to the sofa where Leo was sitting, Aylin tagging along behind him. They plopped down, with Zayden in the middle and Aylin cozying up to his side.

Aylin caught on immediately. "Selina?"

Zayden nodded and turned to Liam and Ayla. "You two should catch some shut-eye. It’s been a long day."

Liam saw the dismissal for what it was, business that didn’t involve them. He stood up and reached out to Ayla. "Come on. Let’s give them some space."

Ayla hesitated, looking at her sister.

Aylin gave her a reassuring smile. "We’re cool. Go. Get some sleep."

Ayla nodded and let Liam guide her out of the lounge, their footsteps fading down the hall.

Once they were alone, Zayden showed Leo the message.

Leo read it fast, his expression tightening. "She wants to meet up. I’ve already listened to all the talks; they both have something big in the works, but don’t trust each other."

"Just call her," Zayden said straightforwardly.

Leo hesitated, his fingers hovering over his phone.

Zayden chuckled. "Why do you always do this? Every time I say to call her, you freeze up like a teenager."

"I don’t," Leo retorted, his ears getting a bit red. "I never hesitate, okay?"

Aylin bit back a smile. "Sure you don’t."

"I don’t!" Leo shot back, but he was already punching in Selina’s number, avoiding their smirking looks.

Zayden kicked back, grinning. "Alright, get her on the phone. Tell her to come here. Now."

The phone rang once.

Selina picked up right away. "What’s up, babes?"

Leo’s face turned bright red. He cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice cool. "Yeah, so Z wants to chat with you."

There was a little pause. "Now?"

The phone was on speaker. Zayden leaned in closer. "Yes, now."

Selina’s tone got more careful. "But how? They could be watching me. If I just vanish..."

"I don’t care," Zayden cut in, his voice brooking no disagreement. "Whatever you need to do, get here. Now."

A moment of silence hung in the air.

Then, "Alright. I’m on my way."

The call ended.

Aylin turned to Zayden. "Think she can make it without getting followed?"

"She’s Selina," Zayden said matter-of-factly. "She’ll handle it."

*****

Twenty minutes later, headlights lit up the mansion’s driveway.

Selina stepped out of her car, looking sleek and fierce, every bit the femme fatale. Her black dress hugged her curves, her red lipstick was sharp, and her heels clicked against the marble steps as she walked up to the entrance.

The guards let her through without a second thought.

She strolled into the lounge like she owned it, her dark eyes scanning the room before locking onto the three of them.

"What did I do to deserve a visit to HK’s mansion?" she teased, a playful edge in her voice.

Zayden didn’t say anything, his face giving nothing away.

Leo just sat there quietly, watching Selina with keen interest.

Selina’s grin got even bigger. "Wow. Your mansion is super fancy, Zayden Cole Virelli. I’m really impressed."

Still, he didn’t say a word.

Finally, Leo spoke, waving to the seat next to him. "Come on, sit down."

Selina’s smile turned a bit cheeky. "Why not, babe?"

She strolled across the room slowly, then suddenly leaned down to give Leo a quick and possessive kiss on the lips.

Leo completely froze, his mind going blank for a moment.

Selina pulled back, totally unfazed, and sat down beside him, her hand casually resting on his thigh.

Leo let out a soft groan, leaning in her direction slightly. "What are you up to?"

Selina pouted, pretending to be innocent. "What do you mean?"

Zayden and Aylin were watching the whole thing with barely hidden amusement.

Zayden cleared his throat, trying to get back on topic. "Alright, enough of that. Tell us what they’re planning."

Selina’s playful mood vanished, replaced by a cool professional vibe. "Like I said, I’ll let you know when they actually come up with a plan. Right now, they’re too hurt and on edge to do anything. Plus, you heard everything through the chip, so don’t expect me to repeat myself."

Zayden nodded, accepting her answer. "Fair enough. I’m not looking for a rundown. I just want a heads-up on their first move once they’re back on their feet."

Selina met his gaze without blinking. "I’ll let you know the second they nail down something."

Zayden stood up, feeling satisfied. "That’s all I needed. You can take off now." He glanced at Aylin. "Let’s go."

Aylin got up, giving Selina’s shoulder a quick squeeze as she walked past. "Stay safe."

"Always," Selina replied.

With that, Zayden and Aylin left the lounge, their footsteps fading away as they headed upstairs, leaving Selina and Leo alone.

The quiet stretched out between them.

Selina’s hand rested on Leo’s thigh, her fingers playfully tracing patterns on his pants.

Leo gulped. "You need to stop that."

"Stop what?" Selina replied, playing innocent, though her hand wandered higher.

"That," Leo said, voice tightening. "We’re at Zayden’s place. Anyone could walk in."

Selina leaned closer, her lips brushing his ear. "Maybe we should head somewhere private then."

Leo’s breath hitched. "Selina..."

"I’ve got a car," she said softly. "Tinted windows. Soundproof. Super private."

Leo turned to her, seeing the heat and challenge in her dark eyes.

"You’re serious," he murmured.

"Totally." Her hand moved higher, and Leo fought back a groan.

"Unless you’re too much of a gentleman to take me up on it."

That was all it took to make him forget every reason he shouldn’t.