Selina cried hard, big, shaky sobs that wracked her whole body. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and let everything out, all the fear, all the guilt, all the self-hate.

"I can’t keep doing this," she whispered to the empty bathroom. "I can’t. I can’t."

But she would. Because she had to. Because the other option was death.

Leo, she thought desperately. I’m so sorry.

Then she screamed, a raw, primal sound of pain that echoed off the tiles.

Hours passed. The water got cold, and her tears eventually stopped, leaving her feeling empty and numb.

Finally, Selina forced herself to stand, wash herself properly, and rinse off the evidence of her breakdown.

She dried off in a daze, slipped into some jeans and a sweater, grabbed her car keys, and headed out.

She needed to see Leo.

She needed to confess. She needed to... do something. She didn’t even know what that was.

All she knew was that she couldn’t be alone anymore.

*****

The sound kept looping in Leo’s ears, each time digging a deeper hole inside him.

She went straight from my bed to his, he thought, fists clenched. Right after saying she cared, she was with him.

But even as he thought that, something pushed back inside him.

She’s just playing a part, his logical side said. She’s a spy. This is what spies do. But does she have to sound so real? his heart shot back.

Leo’s eyes were red, and his jaw was tight. He’d cried earlier, wiping away silent tears, hating himself for showing any weakness.

He told himself to stop listening, to turn it off. But he just couldn’t. A part of him needed to hear it, the proof that she wasn’t his and never really was.

The audio changed. Selina’s voice softened, becoming more intimate. "You’re gonna be the death of me, woman."

"What a way to go," she replied.

Leo’s stomach twisted.

Then he heard footsteps. The office door swung open. Leo turned in his chair, one hand reaching automatically for the weapon at his side.

Selina was standing in the doorway, lit up by the hall lights. Her eyes were puffy from crying, her makeup a mess, and her hair was all over the place. She looked broken.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Then Leo’s walls fell down.

"What happened?" he asked, getting up and walking over to her.

Selina’s face crumpled. "I can’t do this anymore," she cried. "Please, Leo. Finish Maksim and Alpha. Just end it. I can’t keep pretending." She stopped, throwing herself into his arms.

Leo caught her without thinking, holding her tightly as she sobbed against him.

"Please," she begged between cries. "I can’t be that person anymore. I can’t let him touch me. I can’t."

"Shh," Leo whispered, stroking her hair. "It’s alright. I’ve got you."

"It’s just not right!" Selina pulled back a bit to look at him, her dark eyes desperate. "I was with you last night. For the first time in forever, I felt something real. And then I had to go to him and act like I wanted—"

Her voice completely broke.

Leo felt a twist in his heart. "I get it."

"No, you don’t," Selina argued. "You can’t possibly—"

"I heard the whole thing," Leo said quietly.

Selina froze. "What?"

"The chip. I can listen in on the audio feed. Zayden gave it to me to keep tabs." Leo’s voice was flat and calm. "I heard everything. Every word. Every little sound."

Panic spread across Selina’s face. "Oh God. Leo—"

"No," he interrupted, pulling her close again. "Don’t. Don’t apologize. Don’t explain. I understand."

"How can you—"

"Because I know you," Leo said passionately. "I can tell when you’re acting and when you’re being real. With Maksim? That wasn’t you. That was the mask. The survivor."

Selina was crying again, but this time it was softer. "I feel so dirty. I feel so—"

"You’re not," Leo said firmly. He tilted her chin up to make her look at him. "You’re doing what you need to do to survive. To help us. And I don’t hold that against you."

"You should," Selina whispered.

"Well, I don’t," Leo kissed her forehead. "You’re mine, Selina. Not his. Not Alpha’s. Mine. When this is all over, I’ll make sure you never have to pretend again."

Selina’s eyes filled with fresh tears. "Promise?"

"I promise."

Then she kissed him, full of desperation, wanting reassurance that he still wanted her despite everything.

Leo kissed her back just as fiercely, pouring all his feelings into that kiss: forgiveness, understanding, possession.

When they finally pulled away, Selina leaned against him. "I’m so tired."

"Then rest," Leo said, guiding her to the couch in the corner of the office. "I’ll keep watch."

"Stay with me," Selina pleaded.

"Always," Leo promised, settling beside her and wrapping her in his arms.

Within minutes, exhausted from her breakdown, Selina fell asleep.

Leo held her, stroking her hair, already thinking about how to deal with Maksim and Alpha as fast as possible.

Soon, he promised silently. Very soon, you’ll be free.

*****

The office was pretty basic and no-frills, definitely different from the luxury of Maksim’s penthouse or the slick technology in Zayden’s tower.

Charles was sitting across from Azalea, both of them looking through files on their tablets.

Azalea looked up, her sharp eyes checking him out. "You fed Maksim and Alpha wrong details about where William is, didn’t you?"

Charles didn’t beat around the bush. "Yep."

"Why’d you do that?"

"Because I was trying to fix my screw-ups," Charles said quietly. "I messed up a lot of lives with my paranoia, Marcus’s daughters, my own son, William. It’s time to start making things right."

Azalea leaned back, kind of impressed despite herself. "So helping HK keep William safe is part of that plan?"

"Aylin is Marcus’s daughter," Charles explained.

"Marcus was like my brother in all the important ways, even if I didn’t realize it for a bit. Protecting his daughter and helping her take care of the people she loves is the least I can do."