"That," Zayden said grimly, "we need to dig into more. We have to find out if Michael and your dad had any history at all, Any run-ins, deals, conflicts—even indirect ones."

"I can handle that," Aylin said right away, already sorting through her resources in her head. "I’ll cross-reference everything I can find on Michael with what I know about Dad’s work, his old crew, and his government stuff. If there’s a link, I’ll find it."

"And if there’s not?"

"Then we need to figure out who gave Michael those photos and why they wanted him to go after us. There’s got to be a reason. This doesn’t feel random at all."

Zayden moved back to his desk, grabbed his phone, and sent Kade’s photos over to Aylin. "Use these for facial recognition. Check them against every database you can access: law enforcement, agencies, and known associates of your dad’s old team. If Alexander is using a fake identity, there might still be clues about his real one out there."

Aylin’s phone buzzed as the images came in. "I got it. I’ll start with the obvious databases first, then look deeper if I need to. I should have some initial results in a few hours and a full breakdown by tonight."

"Just be careful," Zayden warned, his tone serious.

"If Alexander is as well-connected as we think, digging into the wrong spots might tip him off that we’re snooping. We have no idea who he’s teamed up with or what kind of resources he has."

"I’m always careful," Aylin said with a little smirk. "Being careful is practically my thing."

"I thought it was Danger."

"That too." She chuckled, but her smile quickly faded as a serious look took over.

"Seriously, though, Zayden, this situation is getting way more complicated every day. Every answer just brings up three more questions. Every connection uncovers another mystery. It feels like we’re unraveling something way bigger than we first thought."

"I get it," Zayden replied softly, his blue eyes showing the same concern. "But we’ll figure it out. We have to. Too many people are counting on us—Ayla, Leo, Liam, even William now."

Aylin nodded as she grabbed her laptop and coffee mug. "I’ll dive into this right away. The sooner we figure out who Alexander is for real, the sooner we can see where he fits into all of this."

"Keep me posted on everything you find," Zayden said. "And Aylin?" He waited until she looked at him, her golden-brown eyes meeting his. "If you remember anything else about where you might have seen Alexander’s face, any little detail from two years ago, or anything connected to your dad, let me know ASAP. Even if it seems small."

"I will." She paused at the door, looking back at him. "You know what really sucks about this?"

"What’s that?"

"Feeling like we’re being played. Like someone out there is watching us fumble around like idiots, pulling the strings while they know exactly what’s going on. I really hate that feeling. After the kidnapping, I spent two years building my skills, learning to be in control and never vulnerable again. And now it feels like I’m right back where I started, always a step behind."

"Then let’s flip the switch," Zayden said firmly, moving closer to her. "Let’s find out who Alexander really is, and we’ll be one step closer to seeing the bigger picture. You’re not the same person you were two years ago, Aylin. You’re tougher, smarter, and you’ve got a team now. We’ll figure this out together."

Aylin managed a small smile, appreciating his confidence even if she didn’t feel it herself. "Together. I like the sound of that."

After Aylin left, Zayden stood at his window for a while, staring out at the city without really seeing it. His mind was already racing through plans, backup ideas, possible threats, and what-ifs.

The Michael Arthur situation had always been a worry. He was a vengeful criminal who’d kidnapped two innocent women two years ago out of spite for being exposed.

But now, with the whole Alexander mystery, the strange photos, and the weird gaps in knowledge about Marcus Alston, it all pointed to something much bigger. Something more organized and deliberate than just a revenge plot.

Feeling like we’re being played. They had the resources, smarts, patience, and a game plan that went back at least five years, maybe even longer.

The big question was: who?

And even more importantly: what did they want with Marcus Alston’s daughters?

Zayden pulled out his phone and shot a text to Leo.

"Need to meet. It’s about the photos Michael has. We need Selina’s skills. Tonight, if you can."

Leo replied in seconds.

"8 PM. My place. I’ll make sure she’s there."

Zayden put his phone away and got back to his desk. There was stuff to do, calls to make, information to dig up, and pieces to get in the right spots.

In this game they were caught up in, knowledge was power, and right now, they were really lacking in both.

But that was about to change.

*** 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Things were starting to happen. Liam was fighting to take Ayla home, while doctors wouldn’t let her go. Alexander was getting more paranoid about surveillance he couldn’t prove, not realizing that everything he did was being noted. Kade was capturing shots that would drive Aylin’s next investigation. And Aylin herself was on the edge of a breakthrough, feeling connections she couldn’t fully see but knowing they were there, waiting to be found out.

In different parts of the city, they were moving forward, clueless about how their separate paths were weaving together into a dangerous and revealing puzzle that stretched back years, back to Marcus Alston’s death five years ago, a kidnapping two years ago that left more questions than answers, and photos that were missing context. There was someone out there who seemed to know everything but shared nothing.

The game was heating up.

Soon, everyone would have to figure out what side they were really on and deal with the fallout from choices they made long before they even knew they were in the game.