Cassian stepped into the dimly lit room where Ayla sat, still refusing to eat. Her eyes were distant, but they flickered with life the moment he entered.
"You know," he began, pulling out a chair and sitting across from her, "I fell in love with your mom the first day I met her."
Ayla blinked, surprised.
Cassian smiled faintly, as though remembering a life he'd buried long ago. "It was during a business trip with Viper's father. We stopped at this bar to finalize a deal. She worked there—Elara. She was so gentle… and maybe, just maybe, she caught Viper's father's eye. He bought her that night."
Ayla's jaw clenched.
"I thought maybe that was my chance. That once she was out of that life, she'd be with me. But she never loved me back. She fell for Viper. And he—he loved her too. Watching them together…" Cassian trailed off, staring past Ayla like the memory was playing out in front of him. "He was my brother. So I taught myself how to stop loving her."
Ayla tilted her head. "So… you're mad at Viper for stealing your first love. Got it. But what did Leon do?"
Cassian chuckled instead of answering. He rose from his chair and walked toward her. "That story's for another day," he said, untying her wrists with surprising care. "Because you and I? We're going to be spending a lot of time together."
Her eyebrows knit in confusion. "Where are we going?"
He smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."
Moments later, they were boarding a private jet under the cover of nightfall.
Meanwhile…
Viper's phone buzzed in his hand. Leon's name lit up the screen.
He answered immediately. "Talk to me."
"They left the country," Leon said from the other end.
Viper's voice dropped. "To where?"
"We couldn't lock onto their radar. It was scrambled. But they can't have gone far."
Viper swore under his breath. "We can't sit around. Cassian's more dangerous than we ever imagined. We need to act."
There was a pause on the line.
"I don't know what we're supposed to do," Leon admitted, frustration and helplessness thick in his voice.
Viper stared out into the dark night beyond his window. "We better figure it out. Before it's too late."