Chapter 190: Why Didn’t Michael Know Marcus?

Zayden nodded slowly, following her thoughts. "Right..." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"But when Michael kidnapped us two years ago and held us in that warehouse in the U.S., he never mentioned Dad. He never brought up our father, never used him against us, and never even hinted that he knew about the connection."

Aylin stopped pacing and turned to face Zayden, her golden-brown eyes blazing with intensity. "Why? Why wouldn’t he use that information?"

That question hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning.

Zayden’s mind raced through possibilities. "Maybe he didn’t know at the time? Maybe he found out after he took you?"

"Then how did he get those photos?" Aylin shot back right away. "The pics clearly showed us with Dad. If he had those, he had to know there was a connection. Those weren’t just random family pictures; they were clear enough for him to recognize us."

"Unless someone else handed him the pics without the full story,"

Zayden suggested, playing devil’s advocate. "Maybe he had the images but didn’t realize who Marcus Alston was until later. Your dad passed away five years ago, Aylin. Michael might not have known who Marcus was back then."

"Maybe," Aylin replied, but she didn’t sound convinced. She started pacing again, her steps quicker and more restless. "Or maybe..."

"Or maybe what?"

She stopped suddenly and turned to him. "Maybe Michael Arthur doesn’t even know who Marcus was. Maybe they never actually met. Maybe the connection we thought was there isn’t real at all."

Zayden stood up too, moving around the desk to lean against it with his arms crossed. "But that raises even more questions, Aylin. Like, how did Michael get those photos in the first place? And why go after you and Ayla specifically if it wasn’t because of your dad?"

"I don’t know," Aylin admitted, frustration creeping into her voice. "None of this adds up. Every answer just leads to three more questions."

Zayden raked his hand through his hair. "Okay, let’s break this down logically. You exposed Michael’s trafficking operation two years ago. You hacked into his system, found evidence of the Silk Flame Consortium, and leaked it. That’s why he came after you."

"Right. He kidnapped Ayla and me to get back at me for what I did." Aylin nodded. "That part makes sense. But the photos, Zayden, why did he already have pictures of us with Dad? How did he even know to look for Marcus Alston’s daughters?"

The room fell silent as they both processed what that meant.

"Someone gave him those photos," Zayden said slowly. "Someone who knew about Marcus knew about you and Ayla, and wanted Michael to target you specifically."

"What about social media?" Zayden asked. "Could he have found the photos online? Facebook, Instagram?"

Aylin shook her head. "I’ve never posted photos of us together publicly. I’m not even on social media."

"What about Ayla?"

"Maybe..." Aylin frowned. "But that doesn’t explain why he’d have printed photos, physical copies. People don’t print social media posts."

Zayden replied, "Maybe he did print."

Aylin’s face turned a bit pale. "You think this was planned? Even before I hacked into Michael’s stuff?"

"I think someone wanted you on Michael Arthur’s radar," Zayden said seriously. "The big question is: who? And why?"

Aylin sank back into her chair, her mind racing. "Alright, let’s break this down step by step. First issue: the photos. Michael has pictures of me, Ayla, and Dad together. Where did they come from?"

"Someone with access to your dad," Zayden answered. "Somebody in his circle or someone who was watching him before he died five years ago."

"Second issue," Aylin said, counting on her fingers, "is Michael’s apparent cluelessness about Marcus during the kidnapping. Even with those photos, he never mentioned Dad, never made that connection, and didn’t even seem to recognize the name Marcus Alston."

"Which kind of means," Zayden jumped in, "either he didn’t get how important this is, or—"

"Or he was hiding what he knew on purpose," Aylin added. "But But why? What would be the point?"

Zayden paused for a moment. "Maybe it’s for protection? What if Marcus was such a threat that even Michael Arthur thought twice about going after him, even after he was gone?"

Aylin contemplated this, her expression thoughtful. "Dad wasn’t just anyone," she replied quietly. "From what we’re discovering, he was a government agent, a master strategist, and one of the most skilled hackers in the world. Even in the criminal underworld, there are some names you don’t invoke lightly, some legacies you don’t mess with."

Zayden’s expression grew somber. "And Marcus Alston was one of them."

"Exactly. So why would Michael risk it?"

Zayden theorized, "So Michael grabs you and Ayla without making a clear connection to Marcus. It’s a way to deny responsibility. He could frame it as payback for your hacking, rather than a targeted attack on Marcus Alston’s daughters."

"But what’s the end goal?" Aylin exclaimed in frustration. "If he was scared of Dad’s legacy or whoever sent him those photos, why would he even risk kidnapping us? We got away, Zayden. Ayla got shot; we barely made it out alive, and now he knows we’re still here. What did he really gain?"

Zayden pushed off from the desk and walked to the window overlooking the city. The late-afternoon sun was throwing long shadows across the office. "I think we’re missing a big piece of the puzzle. There’s a player in this game we haven’t figured out yet."

"Alexander," Aylin said right away, looking back at the photos on Zayden’s phone.

"Maybe," Zayden replied. "Or he could be connected to whoever’s behind this. Either way, we need to find out who he really is." He turned back to her, looking determined. "First step: the photo problem. I’ll handle Leo and Selina. I’ll take care of that."

"How are you going to do that?" she asked.

"I’ll talk to Leo tonight. He’ll update Selina, and she’ll make sure those photos disappear from wherever Michael is keeping them. She has the skills and access to do that. If we’re lucky, we can knock that threat out before Alexander ever sees your face."

Aylin nodded, looking a little more relieved. "Alright, that’s good. What about the Michael-Marcus connection? Or the lack of one?"

"That—" Zayden said grimly.