The hospital’s fluorescent lights felt super bright after the cozy vibe of La Virelli.

Emma walked up to the reception desk with Alexander beside her, her excitement from earlier now swapped out for a wave of nerves. "We’re here to visit Ayla. She got admitted yesterday." She told the receptionist other details.

The receptionist, a tired-looking woman, checked her computer. "Room 347. Third floor, east wing. You’ve got about an hour before visiting hours are over, so keep it short."

"Thank you!" Emma said, turning to head to the elevators, but then pausing. "Is she... is she doing okay? I know you probably can’t say much, but—"

The receptionist’s expression softened a bit. "The patient is stable and resting alright. That’s all I can share."

"That’s good to know. Thanks."

Emma made her way to the elevators, with Alexander following closely behind. She kept pressing the button repeatedly, a nervous habit she’d developed over the years.

"What if she’s still out cold?" Emma worried out loud. "What if she doesn’t want visitors? What if I’m bothering her when she really needs to rest?"

"Emma," Alexander said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder, "it’s going to be fine. You’re being a great friend. That’s what counts."

They rode the elevator to the third floor in silence, Emma fidgeting with her purse strap while Alexander’s mind was focused on other things, absorbing details, like he always did as part of his job.

What neither of them realized was that Zayn was slipping into the hospital behind them and approaching the same reception desk they had just passed.

"Good evening," Zayn said with his best charming smile. "Could you help me with some info?"

The receptionist looked up, her eyes widening a bit. "Mr. Virelli! Sure thing, sir. What do you need?"

"The visitors that just came in, the young woman and her dad. Do you know which room they were visiting?"

The receptionist hesitated. "Sorry, Mr. Virelli, but I can’t share patient info due to privacy rules."

Zayn pulled out his wallet and slid a few hundred dollars across the counter. "I get that completely. I’m just worried about a friend. No need for details, just the room number would help."

The receptionist glanced around and pocketed the cash. "Room 347. Third floor, east wing. The patient’s name is Ayla. There’s quite a bit of security up there, pretty unusual for a regular patient."

Zayn’s instincts kicked in. "Security detail?"

"At least three guards. They look like pros and have been there since she got admitted." The receptionist didn’t realize that the guards were from Virelli Groups and Industries.

This is interesting, Zayn thought.

"Thanks! You’ve been really helpful."

He headed for the elevators, his mind racing.

*****

Room 347 was easy to spot, not because of the number, but because there were three female guards hanging out by the door.

One of them was Emilia Kade.

Zayn stopped dead in his tracks. "Emilia?"

Emilia stood up straight. "Mr. Virelli!" she said, bowing slightly, and the other guards mimicked her.

"What are you doing here?" Zayn asked, keeping his voice down.

"Security detail, sir."

"For a hospital patient?" Zayn edged closer. "Emilia, what’s really going on?"

Emilia hesitated before saying, "The patient is Ayla. She’s the sister of the Lady Boss, sir."

Aylin’s sister, Zayn, thought. That’s why there’s so much security.

"And those visitors who just showed up?"

"A friend of Ayla’s from university, Emma Kane, and her dad. They’re in there now."

Emma is Ayla’s friend, Zayn realized, connecting the dots. The friend she wanted to see.

"Where are Zayden and Aylin?"

"They headed to the tower about an hour ago, sir."

Zayn nodded slowly. "Got it. Thanks, Emilia. Just keep doing your thing."

He walked back toward the elevators and called his brother right away.

"What’s up?" Zayn said when Zayden answered.

"What’s going on?" Zayden asked immediately.

"Emma Kane," Zayn said. "The girl I told you about? She’s Ayla’s friend. The one she wanted to visit in the hospital. Ayla, Aylin’s sister."

There was a long pause on Zayden’s end.

"Shit," Zayden finally said. "You sure about that?"

"I’m at the hospital now. Emma and her dad just walked into Ayla’s room. Emilia backed it up." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"That means Alexander Kane’s daughter is totally linked to the only witness who can point him out as a murderer," Zayden’s voice turned grim..

"Murderer? Okay, it’s your business. Does Alexander even know who Ayla is?" Zayn wondered.

"He shouldn’t. Ayla was just a kid, only nine, when he last saw her, so there’s no way he’d recognize her now. But Zayn..." Zayden paused. "If Ayla remembered him when she collapsed yesterday—"

"Then she spotted him at the university," Zayn finished. "That’s what made her freak out."

"Exactly. But right now, Alexander has no clue who Ayla is; he just thinks she’s his daughter’s friend from school."

"How much time do we have before he figures it out?" Zayn asked.

"I’m not sure," Zayden admitted. "But Zayn, you’ve got to steer clear of Emma Kane. This just got way more complicated."

"She’s innocent in this whole mess," Zayn argued. "I can tell."

"You don’t really know that," Zayden interrupted. "Not for real. Aylin’s working on it now, but until we get solid proof, you need to keep your distance. Got it?"

Zayn was quiet for a second. "Got it."

As he hung up and made his way to his car, he realized that staying away from Emma Kane would be tougher than his brother thought.

Because she had already started to get to him.

And something told him this was just the beginning.

*****

In Room 347, Emma was sitting carefully in the chair next to Ayla’s bed, her earlier excitement completely replaced by worry.

Ayla was sleeping, her face pale against the white pillows, her dark hair spread out like a halo. Monitors beeped softly in the background.

Liam stood near the window, keeping a close eye on the two visitors. He didn’t know them well beyond what Emilia had told him, Ayla’s school friend and her dad.