Mehmet noticed but didn’t say anything.

Zayden introduced, "This is Azalea Cole Virelli, my sister."

Azalea nodded at Mehmet, and he nodded back.

Another young woman with lighter hair and shiny eyes moved to Liam and stood close to him. He wrapped his arm around her.

Zayden continued, "This is Ayla."

Mehmet smiled politely, but his eyes kept drifting to the door, waiting.

Then she walked in, and Mehmet caught his breath.

A young woman in her twenties came in with long dark hair and striking features.

And her eyes, just like Sibel’s. Mehmet couldn’t help but stare. She paused in the doorway, looking back. Recognition flickered on her face as she slowly stepped further into the room.

Zayden studied her, concerned, "You okay?"

Aylin nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I’m good."

But she kept glancing at Mehmet before turning to face him completely.

"You. You’re that guy. From the flight. Two years ago. In Istanbul."

Mehmet grinned widely, looking truly happy.

"Yeah... you remember."

Aylin nodded. "You helped me at the airport. You gave me directions and said—" She paused. "You said I reminded you of someone."

Mehmet nodded again. "Right. I was talking about your mom. Back then, I didn’t know you were Sibel’s daughter."

Aylin felt tears well up. She shook her head and smiled. "What a small world."

"It really is."

They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, two people connected by their past, by loss, and by family.

Zayden cleared his throat, breaking the moment.

"Now that we’re all here, we should talk about why we’re gathered."

He looked at Mehmet. "What do you want to tell her?"

Mehmet turned to Aylin, his expression becoming serious.

"You already did what I was going to ask you to do. You exposed Alpha. You took down his empire and got justice."

He paused.

"But I needed to meet you face to face to share something... something you need to know."

Aylin waited as Mehmet took a breath.

"I know who killed your dad."

The room went completely silent.

Aylin felt the room start to spin. Zayden was right there, steadying her. She grabbed his arm and nodded.

Mehmet continued, "Five years ago, your dad started looking into Alpha again. We thought Alpha was just a drug dealer, but your dad dug deeper and found something way worse."

He paused again.

"Human trafficking. Girls. Auctions. Everything you uncovered last week... it was all real."

Aylin nodded; she was already aware of this part. Mehmet kept going.

"Your dad sent me some files and asked me to come over to Turkey. We were supposed to put everything together, the file for the Alpha arrest warrant."

His voice got heavier.

"I was in the US. I booked a flight, but the next day—" He paused. "I got the news. Your dad was dead. Car accident. Brake failure."

Aylin’s hands were shaking. Mehmet looked at her, his eyes full of pain.

"It wasn’t just an accident. Someone tipped off Alpha... let him know about the investigation, the files, everything."

He took a deep breath. "That someone..."

He paused, his eyes locking onto hers.

"...was Alexander Kane."

Aylin gasped. She had a feeling, but hearing it for sure felt different. Mehmet went on.

"Alexander wasn’t even in town when it happened, but he had connections. He told Alpha, and Alpha hired someone to mess with your dad’s car."

Aylin’s voice was barely above a whisper. "Who? Who messed with the brake lines?"

Mehmet met her eyes.

"A mechanic. A low-level thug who worked at a garage your dad used. Alpha paid him to mess with the brakes." He paused.

"The car crashed and burned. All the evidence was destroyed, and your dad was inside. By the time they got him out—" Mehmet’s voice broke. "By the time the ambulance showed up, he was already gone."

Tears rolled down Aylin’s face, but she didn’t say anything. Mehmet kept going.

"The mechanic? Alpha had him arrested with fake drug charges two weeks later and sent him to prison. He died there... stabbed, six months in." He paused again.

"Alpha cleaned up the loose ends, covered his tracks, and your dad’s investigation died with him."

Aylin looked at Zayden. He was watching her... steady and supportive. She turned back to Mehmet.

"Everyone who hurt my family is gone now. Alpha, the mechanic, Alexander."

Her voice sounded hollow. "They’re all dead."

Mehmet nodded. "Yeah. Justice was served. Not the way we wanted... but it was done."

Aylin wiped her eyes and took a shaky breath. "Thanks for telling me. Really, thanks for coming all this way."

Mehmet stepped forward and opened his arms. Aylin walked into his embrace and let him hold her tight, like a father would.

"I’m so sorry," he whispered. "For everything. For not protecting him. For not finding you sooner."

Aylin pulled back and looked at him.

"It’s not on you. Not at all."

Mehmet nodded, but the guilt was still clear in his eyes.

The room was quiet for a long moment until Mehmet spoke again.

"You’re Lunel, right?"

Aylin gave a small smile. "Yeah."

"I’m really glad. Glad you wrapped up what your folks started. Glad you took down Alpha."

Aylin shook her head. "It wasn’t just me. We did it as a team."

She looked around at Zayden, Azalea, Leo, Reyes, Kade, Liam, Charles, and Ayla.

"I failed when I went solo. But I won with them. Without this team, I couldn’t have done it."

Zayden stepped up. "We did it together."

Leo nodded. "For all the victims. For justice."

Reyes added quietly, "For your parents."

Kade chimed in. "For everyone Alpha hurt."

Liam smiled. "We finished what they started."

Charles looked over at Mehmet. "What Marcus and Sibel began, their daughter finished."

Ayla squeezed Aylin’s hand. "And she had family with her the whole way."

Azalea smiled. "That’s what family does."

Mehmet looked around, taking in the sight of them... this team, this family. He smiled.

He felt hope. Maybe, just maybe, Marcus and Sibel’s sacrifice meant something after all.

Their daughter had survived, thrived, found love, found family, and found her purpose.

And she had taken down the monster who took them from her.

Justice was served. The cycle was whole. Mehmet looked at Aylin.

"Your parents would be so proud of you."

Aylin smiled through her tears. "I hope so."

Zayden wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close. "They are. I promise."

As the sun set outside the windows, casting a warm glow across the office, the team stood together... united, victorious, and healed.

The fight was over. The truth was finally out. And for the first time... they could breathe.

*****

Leo stood in the doorway, arms crossed and jaw tight. He hadn’t slept... couldn’t. Too many thoughts crowded his mind, too many questions.

Zayden was at his desk, going through files and paperwork as he got ready.

The court hearing was just three hours away.

Finally, Leo asked, "What’s going on with Selina?"

Zayden looked up and put the file down.

"The FBI. What are they planning to do with her?"

Zayden took a moment before responding, staring at the papers in front of him. Then he said, "They’re not just going to let her go."

Leo’s jaw tensed up. "For how long?"

Zayden exhaled slowly. "It all depends on her. If she cooperates fully, gives them everything: names, routes, accounts, all of it, and testifies in court..."

He went quiet and met Leo’s gaze.

"They’ll go a bit easier on her."

"Easier how?" Leo asked, doubt creeping into his voice.

"A few years, not a life sentence."

Leo glanced away, running a hand through his hair, uneasy. That answer didn’t sit well with him, but it was better than he’d expected.

"And if she doesn’t?" he asked quietly.

Zayden’s tone remained steady. "Then they’ll throw the book at her like everyone else."

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Then, the quiet was broken by a buzz.

Zayden’s phone buzzed on the desk. He looked at the screen and sat up a little straighter.

"It’s the officer," he said.

Leo didn’t move.

Zayden picked up the call, turning slightly away but still in the room.

"Yeah."

There was a pause, and Leo noticed a subtle change in Zayden’s expression.

"She agreed?"

Another pause followed, longer this time.

"Alright. Yeah. Got it."

He hung up and slowly lowered the phone.

Leo pushed away from the doorway. "What’s up?" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Zayden looked at him. "She’s on board... totally. She already gave her statement, a confession, everything."

Leo’s chest tightened. "And?"

"They’re taking it to court today. After that—" Zayden paused. "Now... her fate is in the judge’s hands."