They sat in silence for a moment.

Then Zayn stood up. "Alright. Miami. One week. I’ll figure out what to say to Emma."

"The jet leaves at 4:00 PM. Don’t be late."

"We won’t." Zayn looked at him. "Be careful out there tonight."

"Always."

"No. I mean it. Be really careful. Not your version of careful, where you throw yourself into dangerous situations and somehow manage to survive."

Zayden stood up and pulled his brother into a hug. "I will be careful. I promise."

Zayn hugged him back tightly. "Good. Because Mom will kill both of us if you die."

"She really will," Zayden agreed.

They pulled apart.

Zayden moved toward the door but then stopped and turned back.

"Zayn?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of Emma. No matter what happens tonight, no matter what she learns, you need to protect her. Understood?"

Zayn nodded. "Understood."

"Good."

Zayden left the room, walked out of the penthouse, and hoped that the next time he saw his brother, the war would be over.

*****

Zayn stood in his bedroom, staring at his phone.

Miami. One week. Leave in four hours.

He pulled up Emma’s contact and typed a message.

"Hey. I have a surprise for you. Pack a bag. We are going to Miami. The flight leaves at 4. No arguments. Trust me."

He hit send and hoped she would say yes. He hoped she would trust him and that by this time tomorrow, when the dust settled and the truth came out, she would still want to wear his ring.

*****

Emma was sitting at her desk with her laptop open and textbooks all over the place when her phone buzzed.

She picked it up and saw Zayn’s name.

"Hey. I have a surprise for you. Pack a bag. We are going to Miami. The flight leaves at 4. No arguments. Trust me."

Emma blinked at her screen and read the message again.

Miami?

Today?

Then she glanced at the time. Three hours?

Even though she was confused, she couldn’t help but smile. What was Zayn up to this time?

She texted back, "I’ve got assignments to do. I can’t go."

He replied right away.

"No excuses. You’re coming with me. Your assignments can chill for a bit. 😉"

Emma laughed out loud.

"And exams are in a week. I can’t just leave."

Zayn replied, "You can do your assignments in Miami. You can study for your exams there too. I know you’re super smart. You can totally handle a week off and still ace everything. Stop overthinking and start packing."

Emma stared at her phone.

He was serious.

Really serious.

She texted, "Zaynnnnn."

Zayn replied, "Baby, be ready. 😊"

Emma felt her willpower fading.

She typed: "Okay."

Then she freaked out.

Miami. Beach. One week. With Zayn.

What was she even supposed to pack?

Emma jumped up, grabbed her suitcase from the closet, and started tossing clothes onto her bed— sundresses, shorts, tank tops, sandals.

Her phone buzzed again.

She grabbed it.

Zayn texted, "Do you have a bikini?"

Emma’s face went completely red.

She stared at the message, her heart racing.

She started typing a reply, but then stopped and deleted it. She tried again, hesitated, and hit delete once more. After a third try, she got rid of it again.

Finally, she set her phone down on the nightstand and went back to packing, her cheeks still hot.

A bikini. Of course, she had some; she had three. But the idea of Zayn seeing her in one...

Her phone buzzed again.

Emma quickly grabbed it.

Zayn: "I asked you something."

Taking a deep breath, she typed, "What?"

She could almost hear him laughing through the screen.

Zayn: "Bikini. Do you have one?"

Emma typed, "Why do you want to know?"

Zayn: "Because we’re heading to the beach, and I want to make sure you’re ready. 😏"

Emma replied, "I can pack my own clothes, thanks."

Zayn: "That’s not an answer."

Emma texted back, "Yes. I have bikinis. Happy now?"

Zayn: "Very. What color?"

Frustrated, Emma tossed her phone onto the bed.

What color? He was so annoying.

She ignored her phone and went over to her dresser, pulling out her bikinis. She looked at them: red, blue, and black.

After a bit of thought, she grabbed all three and stuffed them into her suitcase.

Just then, her phone rang.

It was actually ringing.

Emma picked it up, saw Zayn’s name on the screen, and briefly thought about not answering.

But she picked up anyway.

"Hello?"

"You went quiet," Zayn said, and Emma could totally hear the grin in his voice. "Did I make you blush?"

"No," Emma said, lying.

"Totally lying."

Emma was sitting on the edge of her bed. "What’s up with the call?"

"Texting just isn’t as fun anymore. I love hearing you get flustered."

"I’m not flustered."

"Oh, you totally are." Zayn laughed. "It’s cute, though."

Emma felt her cheeks getting hotter. "You’re just impossible."

"I know. So, bikinis. What colors do you like?"

"Zayn..."

"Come on, just play along."

Emma sighed. "Red, blue, black. There, happy?"

"Very! But if you need a new one, I can grab it for you when we get there."

Emma sat up straight. "No way."

"Why not?"

"Because," she paused. "I can buy my own clothes."

"I know you can. But I want to treat you. Let me spoil you a bit."

"You’re already taking me to Miami on a private jet."

"Exactly. So one more bikini won’t hurt."

Emma groaned. "You said you’ve got work in Miami."

"I do."

"Then we’re going for work, not for you to buy me swimsuits."

"Oh, I’ve got a ton of work in Miami," Zayn said, his voice dropping a bit. "A lot of work. With you."

Emma could feel herself blush all over.

She hung up.

Just hit the red button to end the call.

Her phone buzzed right away with a new text.

Zayn: "Did you just hang up on me? 😂"

Emma didn’t bother answering. She just went back to packing.

She grabbed sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, sandals, and her favorite sundress.

Her phone buzzed again.

Zayn: "I’ll pick you up in two hours. Be ready. Love you. ❤️"

Emma felt her heart do a little dance. She replied, "Love you too." Then she got back to packing, unable to wipe the grin off her face.

*****

An hour and forty-five minutes later, Emma stood in her room, staring down at her packed suitcase.

She had packed, unpacked, repacked, and then packed again.

Sundresses, shorts, tank tops, bikinis, sunscreen, study books— because yeah, exams were still coming up—her laptop, chargers, makeup, and hair stuff.

She was the only girl heading to Miami Beach with her school books.

Emma had packed everything she could think of for a week in Miami.

She was excited. More excited than she’d felt in ages.

It wasn’t that Alexander never took her on trips; he did. They had explored all kinds of places—Paris, London, Tokyo, Rome.

But Miami Beach was a first.

And definitely, the first time she was traveling solo with a boyfriend.

Emma checked herself out one last time: denim shorts, a white tank, and her hair in a ponytail. Perfect for traveling.

The ring on her finger sparkled in the light. She looked at it; she still hadn’t officially said yes, but she was wearing it. And now she was going to Miami with him.

That had to mean something.

Her phone buzzed again.

Zayn: "I’m outside. 😊"

Emma’s heart skipped a beat as she grabbed her suitcase and headed down the hallway.

Alexander was in the living room and looked up when she entered.

"Going somewhere?" he asked with a small smile.

Emma suddenly felt nervous.

Why did this feel like a goodbye?

"Zayn is taking me to Miami for a week. Is that... is that okay?"

Alexander got up and walked over to her. "Of course it’s fine."

"Are you sure? I can stick around if you want," she said.

"Emma," Alexander said, gently putting his hands on her shoulders. "I want you to go. Have a blast. Stay safe."

Emma wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I’m gonna miss you."

"I’ll miss you too, sweetheart," Alexander replied, holding her close. "But you’ll be fine. Even better than fine. You’ll have an awesome time."

Just then, a knock came at the door.