She looked at her hand for a long moment. The diamond caught the fairy lights and threw little rainbows across her ceiling.

Emma lay back on her pillow, her hand resting on her chest, the ring cool and solid against her skin.

She had no idea what tomorrow would bring.

She didn’t know how she was going to talk to him.

But for the first time in what felt like forever, the uncertainty didn’t feel like a fall.

It felt like standing on the brink of something amazing.

She closed her eyes.

And slept more soundly than she had in years.

*****

Alexander was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

He heard Emma come home, the soft click of the front door, the quiet sound of her heels being set down in the hallway, and her careful footsteps moving past his bedroom door to her own room.

Every part of him screamed to get up, to open his door, and ask her how the date went, if she was alright, if Zayn Virelli treated her well, or if she wanted to chat.

But he just stayed in bed.

He figured he might as well let her think he was already asleep. He wanted her to believe he hadn’t been worrying about her like the overprotective dad he pretended to be.

Alexander rolled onto his side, the sheets getting all tangled around him.

"Coward," he muttered in the dark.

But what was he even supposed to say to her? What could he do?

His thoughts were racing non-stop.

One day, she was going to find out the truth.

One day, she’d learn who he really was and what he had actually done.

And when that day came, when she looked at him with shock and betrayal instead of love and trust, what would he say?

I’m sorry, Emma. I killed your parents, but I raised you well, so that makes it okay?

Alexander let out a bitter laugh at himself.

As if anything could ever make it okay.

As if there were any words that could justify his actions.

He’d murdered her mom and dad, shooting them both in cold blood on Alpha’s orders. Emma had only been a month old, just a baby, innocent, and he had ruined her entire world before she was even old enough to understand what a world was.

And then he had taken her in.

He adopted her as if she were just a stray he found instead of the orphaned child of the people he had killed.

"What kind of monster does that?" he asked the empty room.

The room, of course, had no answer.

Alexander sat up, running his hands through his hair.

"She’ll never forgive me," he said to himself. "Why would she? I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve her."

But man, he loved her anyway.

He loved her more than he had ever loved anything or anyone in his whole crummy life.

She was the only good thing, the only bright spot, the only reason he hadn’t ended it all years ago when the weight of everything he’d done was too much to handle.

Emma laughing. Emma studying. Emma talking about her day. Emma hugging him and saying, "I love you, Dad," like she really meant it.

Like he was worth loving.

"I’ve killed people," Alexander said into the darkness. "So many people. And I’d do it again if Alpha told me to. I would do it tomorrow without thinking twice."

He paused for a moment.

"But not Emma. Never Emma. If Alpha ever lays a finger on her, or even thinks about hurting her, I’ll kill him. I’ll wreck his whole organization. I’ll tear down everything he’s built, and I’ll make him watch before I put a bullet between his eyes."

The strength in his own voice caught him off guard.

But he meant it.

Alpha could threaten Emma all he wanted. He could remind Alexander that she’s the daughter of traitors. He could hang her life over Alexander’s head like a noose. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

It wouldn’t work.

Because the moment Alpha followed through on that threat, the minute he actually hurt Emma, he’d lose the only thing keeping Alexander in line.

Fear.

Fear for Emma’s safety was the leash Alpha used to control him.

But if Emma was gone, if she were dead, then Alexander would have nothing left to lose.

And a man with nothing to lose is the most dangerous thing in the world.

"She’s going to find out," Alexander whispered. "One day, she’s going to know everything. And when that happens, I’ll lose her anyway."

He lay back down, pulling the blanket over himself.

"Maybe it’s better if I tell her myself. Before someone else spills the beans. Before she hears it in the worst way possible."

But even as this crossed his mind, he knew he wouldn’t.

He was too much of a wimp.

Too selfish.

Too eager to hang on to the idea of being her dad for just a bit longer.

Even if it was all built on lies and pain.

*****

Across town, in a penthouse with a killer view of the skyline, Azalea Cole Virelli sat cross-legged on her bed, her laptop open.

Her room looked classy and was super organized. Everything was just where it should be. Everything was under control.

Except for the problem that was driving her nuts.

Alpha Dark.

How to take him down. How to break apart his whole operation. How to make sure he can’t hurt anyone again.

Azalea had been working on this for weeks. Months, really. But tonight, everything suddenly clicked in her head.

She couldn’t do this solo.

She was talented, really good, even. Her skills were strong, and she had some serious resources.

But Alpha was protected by layers of security, fake identities, corrupt officials, and pure, ruthless cunning.

To really take him down and make sure he stayed down, she needed some backup.

Specific backup.

"Hazard King," she said softly to herself. "And Lunel."

The two most dangerous hackers in the underworld. They had taken down trafficking rings, destroyed crime syndicates, and stayed totally safe despite huge bounties on their heads.

If anyone could help her finish off Alpha Dark, it was them.

"Alright," Azalea said, cracking her knuckles. "Let’s see if I can get their attention."

She fired up her Ghost Net server. The interface was slick and dark, with lines of green code zipping across the screen.

This wasn’t the regular internet. This was deep web territory, the dark web — where people who valued privacy lived in the shadows.

Azalea’s fingers danced across the keyboard as she started encrypting the message. Layer after layer of protection went on: military-grade encryption, algorithms that would take the best government hackers forever to crack.

Two hours went by.

Her eyes stung from staring at the screen, and her fingers felt sore. But finally, the message was done.

Azalea leaned back and took one last look at it.

"Hazard King. Lunel," she read out loud. "I know who you two are. I see you working together. I know what you’ve done. I need your help. Alpha Dark has to be taken out. I’ve got information, resources, and a plan. But I can’t do this alone. I know Lunel is Aylin Alston. I have proof. I’ve got photos. If you ignore me, I’ll blow her cover. I’ll tell everyone looking for her. Meet with me. Just tell me when and where. You’ve got 48 hours to get back to me. Signed, – A."

"Is this enough?" she wondered, talking to herself.

She chewed her lip, lost in thought.

"They’ll want to see that I’m serious; proof that I’m not just some amateur wasting their time."

With that in mind, she added another line to the message.

I know Alpha’s real name and when his surgery is happening. I’ve got the scoop on where Maksim Karza is hiding out. I’ve also got info on Selina. I have details that could get rid of all of them, but I need your know-how to handle it right and make sure they don’t come back.

Azalea hesitated, her finger hovering above the send button.

"Once I send this, there’s no turning back," she whispered. "Once they know I’m after Alpha, and once they reply, I’m all in."

She thought about Aylin, Charles, Marcus, Sibel, and all the lives Alpha had wrecked.

Finally, she hit send.

The message disappeared into the encrypted void.

Now, all she could do was wait.

"They’ll respond," she reassured herself. "They have to. This is too big to ignore."

Azalea closed her laptop and set it aside.

She’d done all she could for the night. Now it was up to Hazard King and Lunel.