The office door swung open, cutting off his sentence.

Liam strolled in, dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt. He looked drained but relieved. "Ayla’s back," he said. "I got her settled in her room. Now she’s just chilling in the lounge."

Zayden nodded, instantly switching from an annoyed brother to focused leader mode. "Good. We need to have a chat with her. She has to know what she’s gotten into."

Aylin shot up right away. "About Emma?"

"About everything," Zayden confirmed. "She’s part of this now, whether we planned on it or not. She deserves to know the truth."

The three of them—Zayden, Aylin, and Liam—left the hidden office, passed through Zayden’s bedroom, and headed down the hall to the main living areas of the mansion.

Leo and Reyes stayed behind, getting ready to keep an eye on the surveillance feeds.

"Do you think he’ll actually try to stop Zayn?" Reyes asked once they were alone.

Leo paused for a second. "I think Zayden will want to protect his brother. Whether that means stopping the relationship or shielding it from Alexander... I honestly have no idea."

***

The main lounge in the mansion was all about cozy elegance, with huge windows giving views of the gardens. The plush furniture was arranged for easy conversation, and the artwork on the walls probably cost more than most people’s houses.

Ayla was on one of the sofas, looking small and a bit overwhelmed, even though she was trying to stay chill. She had changed out of her uni clothes into some comfy leggings and an oversized sweater that Aylin had lent her. Her brown hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders.

When she saw them walk in, she straightened up a bit and gave a small smile.

"You feeling okay? How was the drive back?" Aylin asked, moving to sit next to her sister.

"I’m good," Ayla replied. "A little tired, but good. The drive was fine; Liam was careful." She glanced at Liam with a weak smile.

Liam plopped down in a chair across from them. "She actually slept most of the way."

"That’s great," Zayden said, sitting on the opposite sofa. "Your body needs some downtime."

"That’s what everyone keeps saying," Ayla replied, a hint of frustration in her voice. "It feels like I’ve just been resting for two days straight."

"Because you passed out from exhaustion and stress," Aylin reminded her gently. "Rest is exactly what you need right now."

Before Ayla could say more, the butler, Mr. Moore, popped up in the doorway.

"Excuse me, Z. Lunch is all set and ready whenever you are," he said.

Zayden looked at his watch. "Already? Time flew by." He turned to Ayla. "Are you hungry?"

"A little," she admitted.

"Awesome. Mr. Moore, could you let the kitchen know we’ll be there in five? And ask Leo and Reyes to join us?"

"Absolutely, Z."

As Mr. Moore left, Aylin squeezed Ayla’s hand. "Come on. Let’s get you some real food. I bet hospital food was terrible."

"You have no idea," Ayla said seriously. "I would’ve done anything for some decent food yesterday."

Liam laughed. "A bit dramatic, huh?"

"I’m serious! They tried to serve me something that I couldn’t even tell what it was supposed to be. Gray mush?"

"Oatmeal?" Aylin guessed.

"If that was oatmeal, I never want to see it again."

They headed to the dining room, still chatting about the horrors of hospital food. The dining room had a nice formal vibe but wasn’t too stuffy, with a long table that could fit twelve, though today, only six settings were laid out.

Leo and Reyes walked in just as they were sitting down, taking their places like they owned the room.

"Everything cool?" Zayden asked.

"All quiet," Reyes replied. "No movement from any of our targets."

"Good to know."

When lunch was served, the spread of Mediterranean dishes had Ayla staring wide-eyed. There was grilled chicken with herbs, fresh salads, warm bread, roasted veggies, and what looked like some kind of pasta.

"This is..." Ayla gaped at the food. "This is what lunch is like?"

"Our chef likes to impress when we have guests," Zayden said with a grin. "Dig in. Everything’s tasty."

As they started eating, the conversation just flowed. Reyes asked Ayla about her classes, and she got really excited talking about her computer science program.

"So, you’re in the same program as Emma?" Leo asked while grabbing more bread.

"Yeah, we’re in the same class. We just kicked things off, so we’re both kind of figuring it out together." Ayla paused. "Well, I was getting the hang of it before I, you know, collapsed. Now I’m already behind."

"You’ll catch up," Aylin said confidently. "You’re smart. And don’t forget, Emma made you notes?"

"She did?" Ayla said, looking surprised. "When?"

"The night you were in the hospital. She spent about an hour making detailed notes for all your shared classes so you wouldn’t fall behind."

Ayla’s expression softened. "Wow, that’s really sweet of her."

"She’s a solid friend," Liam remarked.

"She is," Ayla agreed. Then, with a little grin, she added, "Even if her taste in guys is kind of iffy."

Zayden’s fork stopped halfway to his mouth. "What?"

"She’s got this dinner date with some rich guy tomorrow night. She keeps saying it’s not a date, but it totally is."

Aylin and Zayden exchanged a look that said they knew exactly who the "rich guy" was.

"Did she tell you who he is?" Aylin asked carefully.

"Yeah, Zayn something. Zayn Cole... Virelli, I think?" Ayla said casually, not realizing that Zayden had gone completely still. "He owns that fancy restaurant, La Virelli. Apparently, he—"

She paused, her eyes getting wide as it clicked. "Wait. Virelli. Zayden Cole Virelli."

She looked at Zayden. "You’re... your brother Zayn, umm, Aylin’s friend Zayn?"

"Yep," Zayden replied flatly.

"Oh my god," Ayla gasped. "Emma is going on a date with your brother?"

"Of course it’s him," Zayden said dryly.

Leo snickered and quickly tried to cover it with a cough. Reyes was smiling into his water glass.