Zachary shook his head. They were giving him way more credit than he deserved."I just—""You just saved our business," Rosa interrupted firmly. "You were a boy, Zachary. A boy who had nothing, who was alone, who had every reason to be selfish. And you weren't. Not once."The silence that followed was thick with things none of them knew how to say. Zachary looked down at his plate, at the food that represented more than just a meal. It represented years of his life, years of struggling, years of being hungry and tired and scared. But it also represented this: two people who had seen him, really seen him, when everyone else had looked away."Tell us what happened," Gianni said quietly. "After you left. After... everything. Where did you go?"Zachary took a bite of meatball, buying himself time. How much could he tell them? How much did he want to?"A lot happened," he said finally. "Some of it I can't really explain. Some of it..." He paused, thinking of Seraphina, of his father, of th

Zachary smiled all the way to the townhouse.It was a strange thing, that smile. It sat on his face like something that didn't quite belong there, unfamiliar and foreign, and yet, it was real. Genuine. The kind of smile that came from somewhere deep, somewhere he'd almost forgotten existed.The drive through Silverwood's streets was quiet, the evening traffic having thinned to the occasional car, the city settling into that particular hush that came after dark. The radio was off, the windows cracked just enough to let in the cool night air, and Zachary let himself simply be. Let himself feel the warmth that still lingered in his chest from Gianni's embrace, from Rosa's fierce hug, from the taste of food that tasted like home.'Bambineo,' he thought, and the word echoed in his mind with a sweetness that almost hurt. 'Little boy. Their little boy.'He'd always considered himself alone. That was the truth of his childhood, the foundation upon which he'd built his entire understanding of

Zachary's heart lurched. "Really? You're at PDG? It's pretty late though.""I told you I was heading there. There was... a great deal to process after the party. I wanted to have a complete picture before I presented my findings."He could picture her in his mind, sitting at her desk, surrounded by screens, her hair probably escaping from whatever style she'd put it in that morning. Working, always working, because that was what Seraphina did. What she'd always done."Stay there," he said, already moving toward the stairs. "I'm coming in. We need to talk.""Young Lord, it's nearly midnight. You need your rest! Whatever it is, it can wait until—""It can't." He took the stairs two at a time, already mentally calculating how long it would take him to shower, change, and drive back across the city. "I'll be there in forty minutes. Maybe less."He heard her sigh, the sound soft through the phone. "Very well, Young Lord. I'll be here."He ended the call and took the stairs to his bedroom

He walked out of the conference room, his footsteps steady, his back straight. He didn't look back. He didn't need to. He could feel Henderson's eyes on him, burning with a hatred that had only grown stronger in the time apart.The door clicked shut behind him, and Zachary let out a long, slow breath.'Well,' he thought, 'that could have gone worse.' He said as he made his way to the elevator.The night was far from over.***Zachary's office was, for lack of a better word, empty.He'd noticed it before, of course.The spartan walls, the polished concrete floor, the desk that seemed to float in the center of the space like an island in a sea of nothing. But sitting here now, waiting for Seraphina, the emptiness felt almost oppressive.He spun slowly in his chair, letting the motion carry him in lazy circles, his eyes tracing the lines of the room. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the city that was impressive but somehow impersonal—the kind of view you'd expect to see i

Seraphina's eyes met his, and for a moment, something softened in her expression. Then she looked away, shaking her head."You're risking a lot," she said quietly. "If he finds out—""Then he finds out." Zachary shrugged. "I'm tired of being told who to trust. I'm tired of secrets. You've had my back more times than I can count. You've bled for me. You've nearly died for me." He leaned back in his chair. "If I can't trust you, I can't trust anyone."Seraphina was silent for a long moment. Then she said, "You're a so.. sentimental, Young Lord." She hissed the word like it was a curse, dark eyes fluttering shut in what could only be exasperation.“It isn't really a good trait." "Probably.""Your also reckless and stubborn and you have no idea what you're getting into."Zachary huffed, "True."She shook her head, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips now. "Fine. Tell me everything. From the beginning."Zachary did. He told her about the file his father had given him, the finan