"Oh man, I’m totally freaking out," Ayla said with a shaky laugh. "Just keeping it all bottled up inside."

That helped lighten the mood a bit. Reyes chuckled, and even Zayden looked a little less serious.

"You’ll be fine," Liam said to comfort her. "We’ve got your back. You’re safer here than anywhere else."

Ayla took a deep breath to calm down. "So, what should I do about Emma?"

"Just be her friend," Aylin replied casually. "That’s it. Hang out together, go to class together, study together, and live your normal college life. Just remember, her dad’s dangerous. You can’t let him suspect you know anything."

"What if she starts asking about you?" Ayla looked at Aylin. "She’s already curious about my family. Sooner or later, she’ll want to meet my sister."

"Just say I live far away," Aylin suggested. "Or that I travel a lot for my job. Make it believable. No need to cut Emma out or avoid her; that’ll just look suspicious. Just keep some distance."

Ayla nodded. "I can do that."

Zayden stood up, signaling that their serious talk was wrapping up. "Alright, Ayla. I hope you get what we’ve told you. You should go rest now; we’ll get back to what we were doing."

He gestured around the room. "Emilia’s here with you. She’s the wife of my most trusted guy, and she’ll make sure you have everything you need. The rest of the staff is around, too. This is your place now, for as long as you need. Treat it like home."

"And if you want to go out," Zayden added, "just let the guards know. They’ll go with you. It’s not to hold you back; it’s to keep you safe."

"Especially with Alexander keeping tabs on you now," Reyes pointed out.

Ayla’s eyes widened. "He what?" A chill ran down her spine.

"He hired someone to follow you from the hospital," Zayden clarified. "That’s how we know our story worked. The surveillance saw you getting here with heavy security, figured out this is a Virelli property, and reported back to Alexander that you’re tied to a powerful family. He fell for it. He thinks you’re just some rich girl with bodyguards—nothing more."

"But he might still be watching me," Ayla said slowly.

"He might be," Zayden confirmed. "That’s why we have our own security. You can’t go anywhere without guards. It’s why you have to be super careful."

The weight of it all was clearly hitting Ayla hard.

Aylin stood and pulled her sister into a hug. "I know this is scary. But you’re not on your own. We’re all in this together, and we’re going to keep you safe."

Ayla wrapped her arms around Aylin. "Thanks. Seriously, all of you. For looking out for me and for being honest."

"Always," Aylin said softly.

After a second, they let go, and Ayla quickly wiped her tears away.

"Go get some rest," Aylin urged gently. "Your room is awesome; Zayden had it set up just for you. There’s a TV, books, and everything else you might need. If you want anything else, just say the word."

"Okay," Ayla replied, managing a small smile. "I think I’ll lie down for a bit and take it all in."

"Good call," Liam agreed.

As Ayla left the lounge and walked to her room, the others stayed behind.

Once she couldn’t hear them anymore, Leo let out a low whistle. "That’s a lot to drop on someone at once."

"She had to know," Zayden said firmly. "It’s better she finds out now and can take care of herself than later when it could be worse."

"True," Reyes added. "And she handled it really well."

"She’s tougher than she looks," Aylin said quietly. "She’s been through a lot already."

They made their way back to Zayden’s office, passing through his bedroom and into the secret room beyond.

Once the door was closed, Liam spoke up. "So, what’s next? About Emma and Zayn?"

Zayden sank into his chair and ran a hand through his hair. "I don’t know. Part of me wants to shut it down right now and tell Zayn to cancel the date and back off."

"But?" Aylin pressed.

"But Zayn’s an adult, and he’s my brother. If he’s really into her, he won’t listen anyway," Zayden said, frustration clear in his voice. "And Emma is completely innocent. It’s not right to mess with her relationship just because of who her dad is."

"So, do you just let it play out?" Leo asked.

"I really don’t know," Zayden admitted. "I just... need a moment to think."

Reyes checked his watch. "We’ve got that video call with the tech team in twenty minutes for updates on Alpha’s locations."

"Right," Zayden said, pulling himself together as he switched back into leader mode. "Let’s get ready for that."

As they got into their work, Aylin noticed Zayden looking her way. He seemed exhausted and stressed. The pressure of keeping everyone safe, his brother, his girlfriend, her sister, and his whole crew, was clearly weighing him down.

She moved in behind his chair, resting her hands on his shoulders. "We’ll sort it out," she said softly. "We always do."

Zayden reached up and grabbed one of her hands. "I know. I just wish..."

"Wish what?"

"I wish my family could just be happy without all this complicated stuff."

Aylin gently squeezed his shoulders. "Complicated’s kind of our thing by now." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Despite everything, Zayden managed a little smile. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Leo piped up, clearing his throat. "Sorry to cut the moment short, but we have some news. Kade just sent an update."

They all turned back to the screens, diving back into the work of tracking their enemies, keeping their secrets safe, and somehow navigating this messy world.

Meanwhile, in another part of the mansion, Ayla was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling and processing everything she had just found out.

Her friend Emma, sweet and a bit awkward, was the daughter of a murderer.

And she was going on a date with the brother of the guy who was looking after them all.

Ayla had to pretend she didn’t know any of this.

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

This was her life now.

"Complicated" didn’t even come close to describing it.