Slayde’s heavy footfalls faded down the marble hallway, leaving the remaining group in a fragile silence that lasted only as long as it took for the door of his private study to click shut.The moment Slayde was out of sight, Jaxon threw his arm over Zayn’s shoulders with dramatic flair."Ignore the peanut gallery, my dark-web brother," Jaxon declared, steering a hesitant Zayn toward the grand staircase. "Come! Let me show you to your royal quarters.""Royal quarters," Raina scoffed behind them, grabbing her tablet to follow. "If that glorified broom closet is a royal quarter, then I'm the Queen of England."Elio tossed her legs off the sofa and slid into her slippers, trailing right behind Raina with her glass of water in hand. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world. I want to see the exact moment Zayn realizes what he signed up for."Zayn glanced over his shoulder at the two women parading behind them, feeling wildly out of place. He was used to silent, dark hallways

In the dim quiet of his private study, Slayde sat motionless behind his desk. The ambient glow of a terminal illuminated the sharp contours of his face, casting long shadows across the walls.Spread across the desk were dozens of surveillance photographs, financial charts, and historical dossiers. Slayde’s fingers moved methodically through the printouts, his dark eyes analyzing every face captured in the backgrounds of Harlyn and Dominic’s recent outings.He zoomed in on a series of shots taken at a private charity gala three months ago, then flipped to high-resolution stills from Dominic and Harlyn's wedding.His sharp gaze scanned the crowd, searching, sifting, testing every face against his memory.

Zayn stepped forward, his long fingers reaching out to grab the sleek metal card. He slipped it into his hoodie pocket, feeling the heavy weight of it against his chest. The sudden shift from terrified fugitive to a highly paid, fully equipped operative left him feeling slightly lightheaded."Alright," Zayn murmured, running a hand through his hair as a faint, satisfied smirk finally broke through his guard. "We have a deal, Burgess. I'm going back to my room to drain that trust.""Do it cleanly," Slayde commanded softly.Zayn gave a quick nod, turned on his heel, and practically jogged out of the study, the heavy door swinging shut behind him.Raina shook her head, le

She dragged the back of her glove across her face, smearing dark red blood across her cheek, and took a shuddering step forward.Elio slowly turned back around. A rare flash of shock crossed her dark eyes.Raina stood swaying in the center of the ring. Her hair was tangled, her outfit ruined, and her face bruised and bloody, but her eyes burned with fury."I'm... I'm not going back upstairs," Raina spat through her broken nose, her voice rough but unyielding. "Hit me again."Elio stared at her for a long second. The cold dismissal in her eyes melted into a deep shift of respect."Alright," Elio murmured, lifting her hands into a high guard. "Again."Raina swung a wild right hook, but her body had reached its limit. Her feet tangled on the canvas, her vision blurred, and her knees buckled.She collapsed onto her side with a heavy thud, her chest heaving in ragged gasps. She couldn't move her arms. Her face throbbed with heat, her nose bled freely, and every muscle felt like lead.

Sitting in his chair, his eyes on the files in front of him, Slayde could feel Viktor staring at him.He knew Viktor was watching him because of the way he had spoken to Brec Elsher.‘It was obvious I was rude’, he thought, picking up a file. ‘But bringing another person into this circle would be a pain when it was already hard enough protecting the others.’He knew the men coming after him, so he preferred not to make any more friends, especially those who couldn't protect or defend themselves.Brec Elsher was an innocent, delicate-looking woman who seemed like she couldn't hurt a fly.‘Couldn't hurt a fly?’Slayde wasn't so sure. He had seen her beat up Harlyn, but that was just a fight between women. She wouldn't last against actual gangs.It was better for her to stay just an acquaintance."If you have something to say, Viktor, say it," Slayde said without looking up from his papers. "And stop looking at me like that."Viktor cleared his throat softly and adjusted his suit jacke