Azalea, his sister, who lost her love but found what she was meant to do.

Leo, who was fighting for the woman he cared about.

Reyes, always loyal and dependable.

Liam, who had proved himself over and over.

Charles, who wanted justice for the years he missed.

William, who was standing up to his own brother to do what’s right.

Ayla, who had survived and deserved to see her abusers face consequences.

His family. His team. His squad.

"Tomorrow night," Zayden said.

"We’re making our move. Multiple targets. Everything is precisely timed. We’re rescuing fifteen girls from that warehouse. We’ll save every victim from Serena Hotel. We’re going to reveal the Alpha trafficking empire to the world. We’ll take down Maksim Karza’s operations in fifteen countries. And we’ll deal with the the men who started it all."

He paused for emphasis.

"This isn’t just about getting back at them. It’s about making it right. It’s about making sure what happened to Aylin, Ayla, and those fifteen girls in that warehouse never happens again."

Aylin stood up and took his hand.

One by one, the others got up to stand with them, forming a united front.

"Tomorrow, we fight," Zayden said firmly. "And tomorrow, we win."

*****

In the warehouse on Pier 12, Layla sat with her blindfold snugly in place.

Tomorrow night.

Freedom was on the way.

She just had to keep these girls alive for one more day.

One more day.

*****

In Maksim’s penthouse, Selina tossed the last of her stuff into a small bag.

Hiding in her closet, she got ready for what was coming.

Tomorrow night, Victor would come to get her.

Tomorrow night... she’d be free.

Or she’d be dead.

Either way, the nightmare would be over tomorrow.

*****

In his penthouse, Alpha Dark looked over some reports.

Something was wrong.

He could sense it deep down.

But he couldn’t figure out what it was.

His head felt foggy and unclear, like he was trying to remember a dream.

Names and faces blended together.

Was he missing something important?

Someone important?

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

Tomorrow was the auction.

Fifteen girls.

Millions of dollars.

Everything would be fine.

He just needed to make it through tomorrow.

*****

Meanwhile, in her room, Emma lay in bed, staring at the ring on her finger.

Zayn had sent her a goodnight text.

Her dad was acting weird, kind of distant.

But the ring felt real. Solid. Safe.

She had no clue that tomorrow night, everything she thought was true would fall apart.

She had no idea that trouble was coming.

She just looked at the ring, smiled, and fell asleep.

*****

Zayden stood outside his brother’s penthouse, ready to knock.

It had been months since he came by and ages since he last saw his mom—when was it? Three months? Maybe four?

Living life as Hazard King didn’t leave him much time for family.

But today was different.

He needed to make sure his family was okay.

He knocked on the door.

He heard footsteps, and then the door swung open.

Isabella Virelli was standing there, looking classy as ever, even in her casual outfit. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Zayden!" She pulled him into a warm hug. "Oh my God, you’re really here. In person. I thought you forgot what I looked like."

He hugged her back, a smile creeping onto his face despite everything. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Mom," Isabella repeated, pulling back to take a good look at him. "Is that all you’ve got? You disappear for months, and all I get is ’hi, Mom’?"

"I’ve been busy."

"You’re always busy." Isabella grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "Come on in. Sit down. Tell me everything. Or at least share something. Anything. I’ve been dying for updates about my eldest son."

Zayden let himself be guided to the living room. The place was gorgeous; his brother had a good eye, but it felt strange being there, like stepping into a whole different world.

A normal world.

Where people didn’t plan wars and coordinate strikes against international crime syndicates.

Isabella dropped onto the sofa and patted the seat next to her. "Sit down. Now. Talk."

Zayden sat down. "How are you, Mom?"

"Oh no. We’re not doing that. I asked you first." Isabella studied his face. "You look worn out. Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Enough."

"That means no." She reached up and touched his cheek. "You’ve lost some weight." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"I’m fine, Mom."

"You’re working way too hard. Whatever business you’re running, it’s totally taking over your life." Her eyes narrowed. "And don’t think I can’t tell that you’re not sharing exactly what that business is."

Zayden smirked a bit. "You know I can’t go into details about work."

"Is it top secret, or is it shady?"

"Mom—"

"I’m just kidding. Mostly." Isabella leaned back. "Alright, keep your secrets. But at least tell me about this girl."

Zayden raised an eyebrow. "What girl?"

"You know—the girl. The one Zayn mentioned. Aylin. The one you’re supposedly in love with."

Zayden felt a warm glow in his chest. "Zayn really talks a lot, doesn’t he?"

"He sure does," Isabella said cheerfully. "So? When am I finally going to meet her? When do I get to meet my future daughter-in-law?"

"Soon," Zayden responded. "I’ve got something big going on right now. Once that’s over, I’ll bring her to meet you and Dad. I promise."

Isabella’s expression shifted. The teasing vanished, replaced by worry. "Something big. What does that mean?"

"It means I’m dealing with a situation."

"What kind of situation?"

"The kind I can’t talk about."

Isabella reached for his hand. "Zayden. Is it dangerous?"

He looked at her—really looked at her. His mom. The woman who brought him up, kept him safe, and loved him unconditionally.

She deserved the truth... but she could never have it.

This might be the last time he sees her.

"I just hope it’s not too much," Isabella said softly. "I hope you can get through it safely."

Zayden squeezed her hand.