Fifty-seven minutes later, Linda came back with a thick manila folder packed with papers. Alpha grabbed it without saying anything and started reading.

Linda just stood there, waiting.

Zayn Cole Virelli was born in San Francisco but moved to Toronto when he was five. He went to private schools where he excelled in everything: studies, sports, and social circles. He was popular but not stuck-up, smart but not a know-it-all.

He returned to the US for middle school, then went to Germany for high school and college, where he got a business degree and culinary certification. Two years ago, he came back to the US after his grandfather passed away and left him La Virelli.

In just two years, Zayn turned one restaurant into a huge success, opening fifteen locations around the world. His places got Michelin stars and attracted famous customers, raking in hundreds of millions.

Alpha flipped through page after page.

There was no criminal record, no scandals, and nothing dirty in his past.

He looked perfect on paper.

Too perfect.

Alpha looked up. "How did he meet Emma Kane?"

Linda was obviously ready for this question. "They met at a mall ten days ago. He accidentally spilled coffee on her dress, apologized a lot, and offered her a reservation at La Virelli as a way to make it up to her. She had dinner there with her dad, Alexander Kane, who was with her the whole time."

"And then?"

"Three days ago, Zayn took Emma on a date to Rosa de Oro, another fancy restaurant owned by his big sister, Azalea Cole Virelli. He rented the whole place for the night."

Alpha raised an eyebrow. "The whole restaurant?"

"Yep, sir."

"That’s a big move."

"Absolutely."

"And?"

Linda’s smile got a little bigger. "And he proposed to her that night, with fireworks. It was pretty dramatic."

Alpha actually laughed. "Ten days in, and he proposed."

"Well, technically, it was three days of actual dating, sir. The mall thing happened ten days ago, but their first real date was a week later."

"Got it." Alpha leaned back. "Young Virelli is definitely speeding things up."

"Really fast, sir."

"And what about her answer?"

"Not sure. But," Linda glanced at her tablet, "surveillance from the hospital shows she’s wearing a ring on her left hand, which seems like an engagement ring. So, she hasn’t said no."

Alpha took a moment to think about that.

A Virelli was about to propose to Alexander Kane’s daughter after only ten days.

Either the kid was reckless, or he had some inside info.

"Is there any hint that Zayn Virelli knows who Alexander really is?" Alpha asked.

Linda paused for a moment. "Nothing solid. But the Virellis have connections, so it’s possible they know something."

"Possible," Alpha repeated. "Not confirmed."

"Exactly, sir."

Alpha flipped to the last page and found Zayn’s personal phone number.

He pulled out a burner phone from his desk drawer. It was untraceable and meant to be discarded after one use.

He carefully typed in the number and put together a message:

"Alexander Kane knows more than you think. And so do we. Watch your back, Virelli."

He hit send.

Linda watched and asked, "A warning?"

"A test," Alpha said. "Let’s see how young Virelli reacts under pressure."

"And what if he shows the message to someone? His family? Alexander?"

Alpha smirked coldly. "If he brings his family into it, we’ll know the Virellis are digging into things they shouldn’t. If he shows it to Alexander, we’ll discover they’re closer than we thought. Either way, we’ll learn something important."

"And if he does nothing?"

"Then he’s just a kid in love with the wrong girl."

Linda slowly nodded.

Alpha set the burner phone down. "To the warehouse. Let’s go."

*****

The drive to Pier 12 took about twenty minutes.

Alpha sat in the back of his armored SUV, with Linda next to him. Two security vehicles were right on their tail. The warehouse area was dark, industrial, and mostly deserted at night.

It was just what Alpha needed.

They pulled up to a plain building with metal siding, no windows, and tight security.

Four armed guards stood at the entrance.

"Sir," they said together as Alpha walked up.

The head guard unlocked the door, which had three locks and thick bolts. Alpha went down to the basement with Linda following close behind.

*****

Meanwhile, across town in another penthouse, Maksim Karza was in his living room with Selina.

The TV was on, but neither of them was really watching. Selina was curled up on the sofa, wearing one of Maksim’s shirts, and looked smaller than usual.

Maksim was in his armchair, sipping whiskey and just watching her.

"You’ve been kind of quiet tonight," he noted.

Selina looked up. "Just thinking."

"About what?" he asked.

"Alpha."

Maksim’s face turned a bit serious. "What about him?"

Selina hesitated, as if she were deciding whether to open up. Then she said, "Do you ever wonder what he’s up to?"

"I think about it all the time," Maksim replied. "Why?"

Because I think..." Selina paused and looked away. Alexander kane"Never mind."

"Selina," Maksim leaned in. "Just tell me."

She took a deep breath. "I think he’s planning to kill you."

Maksim didn’t seem shocked. "I know."

"You know?"

"Of course I know. Alpha Dark doesn’t have partners; he just has tools. When those tools aren’t useful anymore, he tosses them aside." Maksim took a sip of his whiskey. "He’s just waiting for Hazard King to be taken out. Then I’m next."

Selina looked down at her hands. "Did you know he’s planning to kill me, too?"

That made Maksim stop for a moment. "What?"

"He told me," Selina said quietly. "A few months back. He said I knew too much, that I was a risk. That once you were gone and HK was gone, I’d be... out of the picture. He said it like it was nothing. Like he was discussing the weather."

Maksim put his glass down carefully. "He actually said that to you?"

"Yeah."

"And you just stayed?"

Selina’s voice cracked a bit. "Where else could I go? He’s Alpha Dark. You can’t just leave him. You can’t just walk away."

Maksim stood up and moved to her, sitting next to her on the sofa. "Selina..."

"I loved him," Selina whispered. Tears were coming now, real tears, not the fake ones she usually put on.