Aylin couldn’t help but smile.

"What’s on your mind?" Azalea asked.

Aylin turned to her. "I think we’re about to win."

Liam checked the time. "The auction kicks off in ten minutes."

"Then we wait," Aylin replied. "Let them bring out the girls. Let everyone see who Alpha really is. Then we’ll take him down."

Azalea nodded. "We’re gonna take them all down," she said quietly.

Azalea looked at her and replied, "Yeah. We definitely are."

Liam wrapped up his prep work. "All systems go. Just give the word, and we’ll expose everything."

Aylin pulled up the final program: the digital trap.

Months of hard work had gone into this—every file, every transaction, every victim—all set to go public.

Her phone buzzed.

"Zayden, did Maksim make it?" she typed.

"Yes. He’s arguing with Alpha right now," Zayden responded.

"Awesome. Wait for the auction to start. Let them show the girls and let everyone see. Then we hit."

Aylin typed back, "Got it. You okay?"

There was a pause before he replied, "Just a minor injury. Nothing serious. Focus on the mission."

Aylin’s heart sank, but she typed, "Be safe."

"Always. Love you," Zayden replied.

"Love you too," Aylin sent back.

She set her phone aside and looked at the screens.

Alpha Dark, Maksim Karza, and soon an entire room full of predators.

All about to go down.

"Let’s wrap this up," Aylin said.

Azalea and Liam nodded.

And they waited for the perfect moment to make their move.

*****

William Arthur stood outside the huge mansion doors, his hand shaking a bit as he reached for the handle.

Zayden had told him it was cool to come in and specifically asked him to be here, to keep an eye on the place and watch over Ayla while the team wrapped up the last phase of their plan.

But William knew there was another reason Zayden had sent him.

A reason that made his heart race like crazy, loud in his ears.

Sarah had brought their daughter here.

Ella.

The kid he had never met, the daughter who thought another man was her dad.

The little girl who had lived for years without knowing William was in the picture.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The mansion was quiet, cozy, and felt secure.

Everything William had never had with Michael.

He walked down the marble hallway, his footsteps echoing softly as he followed the voices toward the living room.

One was a woman’s voice, Ayla’s. He recognized it from their brief meeting at the tower.

The other was a kid’s voice, light, happy, and carefree.

William stopped at the doorway.

And there she was.

Ella.

Sitting cross-legged on the big white sofa, a book on her lap. She was chatting away excitedly with Ayla, who sat next to her with a warm smile.

William couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

She was gorgeous.

She had gray eyes just like his, clear winter gray, like frost under a pale sky, bright and still, showing a quiet strength and everything good in the world. The same gentle curve to them. The same long lashes.

But her face looked just like Sarah’s.

William looked at the girl in front of him. She had the same straight nose and jawline as he did. When she got excited, her eyebrows went up, making little peaks above her eyes.

Her dark hair, just like his, fell in soft waves down past her shoulders.

She was wearing pink pajamas with little stars on them, and her bare feet had sparkly purple toenails.

Eleven years old.

Eleven years he had missed out on.

Eleven years taken from him.

Tears stung in William’s eyes. He tried to blink them away but couldn’t manage it.

Ella was in the middle of talking about something from her book when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye.

She looked up and saw a tall man standing in the doorway, tears running down his face.

Tilting her head with curiosity instead of fear, she asked, "Who are you?"

William opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Ayla turned and saw him. Her expression immediately changed; she understood that Sarah had filled her in on everything before leaving.

"Ella," Ayla said softly, "this is William. He’s a friend, like, a really good friend. Zayden asked him to stay with us tonight to keep us safe."

Ella looked at William with curiosity. "Why is he crying?"

Ayla smiled and answered, "Because he’s super happy to meet you."

Ella turned back to William. "You are?"

Finally finding his voice, William replied in a rough, shaky tone, "Yeah, really happy."

"That’s kind of weird," Ella pointed out. "Most people don’t cry when they meet someone new."

Despite everything, William let out a choked laugh. "You’re right. It is weird. Sorry about that."

Ella shrugged, not really bothered. "It’s cool. My mom cries at commercials sometimes. Adults are just emotional."

Ayla got up and closed her book. "I’ll let you two chat. I’ve got exams coming up, and I really need to hit the books."

"Do you have to go?" Ella asked, sounding a bit bummed.

"I’ll just be right upstairs," Ayla assured her. "If you need anything, just holler for me, okay?"

Ella nodded.

As Ayla walked by William, she paused to give his arm a gentle squeeze. "Take your time," she whispered before heading out.

William and Ella sat in silence for a bit.

Well, Ella did. William was still standing in the doorway.

"Are you coming in?" Ella asked. "Or are you just going to stand there all night?"

William forced himself to move and slowly walked into the living room. Each step felt huge.

He stopped a few feet from the couch and, not trusting his legs, dropped down to his knees.

Now they were at eye level.

Ella looked at him with interest. "You’re really tall."

"I am," William replied.

"Taller than my dad."

William flinched, unable to help it.

Ella didn’t notice. "So, Friend William, what should I call you?"

"What do you want to call me?" William asked carefully.

Ella thought for a moment. "Well, I don’t know you yet. So maybe ’Uncle’? Like Uncle William? Or just your name?"

"William is fine," he said. "Whatever you’re comfortable with."

"Okay. William it is." Ella tucked her legs underneath her. "Ayla said you know my mom?"

William nodded, not trusting himself to say anything.

"How do you know her?"

"We’re old buddies," William said. "We go way back."

Ella’s eyes lit up. "Really? How long has it been?"

"Before you were even born."

"Wow. That’s like... ages ago."

William couldn’t help but smile a bit, even with tears still on his face. "Ages. Yep, exactly."

"So, you’re like a dinosaur friend?"

William actually chuckled. "I guess that makes me one."

"Cool. I’m into dinosaurs." Ella leaned in like she was sharing a big secret. "Do you like them?"

"I totally do," William said.

"What’s your favorite?"

William thought for a second. "Tyrannosaurus Rex."

Ella scrunched her face. "Really?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"’Cause T-Rex is so basic," Ella said, like it was obvious. "Everyone goes for T-Rex. It’s kind of boring."

William put a hand on his chest in a playful way. "Boring? The T-Rex is an awesome apex predator!"

"With tiny little arms," Ella pointed out, holding up her hands like little claws.

William looked at his own arms. "I have regular-sized arms."

Ella laughed out loud. "I didn’t say you have tiny arms!"

"But you kind of hinted at it."

"I did not!"

"You totally did. You were making fun of my dinosaur pick and my arm size."

Ella was laughing now, her voice ringing like little bells. "Your arms are totally fine! They’re just normal!"

"Thanks, I really appreciate that," William replied.

They were both smiling now.

William realized he hadn’t actually smiled in years.

Ella leaned back against the cushions of the sofa. "So if T-Rex is boring, what’s your favorite dinosaur?" William asked.

"Velociraptor," Ella said right away. "Because they’re smart, fast, and they stick together in packs. They’re all about strategy."

William felt his chest tighten. "That’s a great choice. Really well thought out."

"I know," she grinned. "I’m pretty smart."

"I can see that."

"My teacher says I read at a ninth-grade level."

"That’s impressive."

"I know," she said, completely unbothered. "What do you do for a living?"

William hesitated. "It’s... kind of complicated."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Adults always use that excuse when they don’t want to explain stuff."

"You’re totally right. I’m sorry. I—"