Azalea slowly smiled. "Nice. I was hoping you’d say that."

"You were testing me," Charles figured out.

"Absolutely," Azalea replied without any regret. "I needed to know where your loyalties really are. Now I do."

Charles shook his head, amused. "You’re pretty scary, you know that?"

"Thanks," Azalea said sweetly. "Now, we need to focus on keeping HK’s empire strong. Aylin needs to be in the loop about everything, every move Alpha and Maksim make, and all the intel we gather."

"Agreed," Charles replied. "Have you checked in on Black Panther lately?"

Azalea’s expression turned a bit thoughtful. "No. But she’ll be fine. Sarah’s tougher than she looks. She’s taking big risks feeding us info about Alpha’s inner circle. I don’t know how she’s getting such good details, but she’s super valuable."

"She’s playing with fire," Charles warned.

"We all are," Azalea said. "The real question is, who’s going to make it to the end?"

They fell quiet, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Charles broke the silence. "Liam asked me yesterday if I thought he made the right choice coming back to Ayla."

"What did you say?"

"That love is always the right choice," Charles said softly. "Even when it’s scary. Even when it hurts."

Azalea studied him. "You’ve really changed."

"I’m trying," Charles admitted. "For Liam. For the memory of Marcus. For everyone I let down."

"Keep trying," Azalea said. "Because we’re going to need everyone at their best for what’s coming."

When the masks finally drop, who will be left standing?

*****

Selina woke up slowly, disoriented at first, until she remembered where she was. The strange couch, the comforting feel of arms around her, and the steady heartbeat she could hear beneath her ear.

Leo.

She moved a little, and his arms tightened around her, protective even in his sleep.

"Leo?" she whispered.

His eyes flew open, alert like he was ready for anything. "You okay?"

Selina nodded and sat up carefully. She looked around, seeing the afternoon sun pouring in through the blinds. "What time is it?"

Leo checked his watch. "Almost two. You’ve been out for about three hours."

"Three hours?" Selina ran her fingers through her messy hair. "I didn’t mean to crash on you like that. It’s the middle of the day."

"You needed the rest," Leo said simply. He sat up next to her, looking at her closely. The puffiness around her eyes was gone, but the dark circles were still there. "How do you feel?"

Selina thought about lying; that was usually her go-to move. But there was something about Leo that made her want to be real.

"Like I’ve been completely scraped clean," she admitted. "Exposed. Vulnerable." She looked into his eyes, searching his face. "And scared you’ll figure out I’m not worth all this hassle."

Leo’s expression softened. He reached out and held her face in his hands. "You are worth it. Every second. Every messy complication. All of it."

"How can you say that?" Selina’s voice trembled. "After what you heard..."

"Because I know the difference," Leo gently interrupted. "Between just getting by and actually choosing. Between the mask you wear and the real you." He pressed his forehead to hers. "With Maksim, you were just surviving. With me, you’re choosing. That’s the key difference."

Tears came to Selina’s eyes again. "I don’t deserve you."

"Probably not," Leo said, making her laugh despite everything. "But you’re stuck with me anyway."

Selina kissed him, soft and thankful, pouring all the feelings she couldn’t put into words into that kiss.

When they pulled apart, Leo’s face turned serious. "We need to end this. Soon. I can’t just watch you go back to him."

"You won’t have to," Selina promised. "They’re planning something. Another attack. Bigger than the last one. Once I figure out the details, we’ll have everything we need to take them both down."

"And then?" Leo asked.

"And then," Selina said, finally letting herself feel hopeful after so long, "I’m all yours. Completely. No more pretending or hiding."

"I’ll hold you to that," Leo warned, pulling her in close again.

They sat together in a cozy silence for a few more minutes before Selina sighed and got up. "I should probably head out. If I’m gone too long, Maksim will start to get curious."

Leo stood up too, not wanting to let her leave but knowing it was necessary. "Be safe."

"I’m always careful," Selina replied, straightening her outfit and trying to fix her hair.

Leo grabbed her hand as she moved toward the door. "Selina?"

She turned back. "Yeah?"

"I love you," he said plainly. "Just wanted you to know."

Selina’s breath caught. "Leo—"

"You don’t have to say it back right now," Leo quickly added. "Not until you’re ready. Not until you’re free. Just... keep it in mind. Okay?"

Selina stepped back to him in a couple of strides and kissed him passionately. "I’ll say it when this is over. When I can actually mean it without any doubts. When I can really be yours without conditions." She gently touched his face. "But Leo? I feel it already. I really do."

Leo smiled, warm and genuine. "That’s enough for now."

Selina left, but this time, the door closing behind her didn’t feel like an ending.

It felt like a promise.

*****

Aylin had been at it for hours.

Her eyes felt sore from looking at the screen, and her fingers hurt from all the typing. Coffee cups were scattered all over her desk, some empty, some half-drunk and forgotten.

But she couldn’t quit.

Alexander Kane. Alexander Kane. Alexander Kane.

The name had turned into a bit of an obsession, a puzzle she was hell-bent on figuring out.

But the guy was like a ghost.

Every search brought up nothing. Every database hit a dead end. Every lead went cold.

"This is so weird," Aylin grumbled, pulling up yet another encrypted file. "Everyone leaves some kind of trail. Everyone."

Zayden looked up from what he was doing, worry written on his face. "Still nothing?"

"Even worse than nothing," Aylin replied, frustration creeping into her tone.