ZANE.

I sat at the edge of the polished mahogany table, my hands braced on my tablet, where I monitored the meeting with the PR team that was happening virtually at the site of the bombing. The board members' faces were etched with worry, their panic staring back at me through the screen. The bombing had rattled them, and the PR team's rapid-fire suggestions for damage control only added to the chaos. Clenching my jaw, the weight of the loss was bearing down on me. But beneath that, my mind was distracted by what was happening a few feet away from my study in the tech room. Sienna was unraveling secrets I was eager to know.

I moved away from the table, walked around it to my cushioned seat, and sat. Resting my head against the headrest. My earpiece crackled softly, and I muted the Live meeting to listen to the audio feed from the tech room's CCTV. Sienna's voice, followed by Belinda's teasing and some guy, Travis, discussing encryption.

I knew they were accessing the flash drive the moment they had plugged it into the old desktop, since it was synced through Atlas's network, which was accessible on my tablet. I had initially wanted to give her the privacy of knowing the flash's content, trusting her to be loyal and report to me. But as I saw her image flicker on my screen, I decided to watch the secret unfold as they worked their way to finding the passwords.

I was going to act oblivious, regardless; it was a test to see if she was as loyal as she wanted me to believe. I would be damned if I let Sienna uncover something without me knowing. Not when the cartel was breathing down my neck too.

I forced my attention back to the boardroom just in time to hear Madison's suggestion about security upgrades.

"You need not worry about it. We're doubling patrols, installing new biometric locks, and rerouting critical data to off-site servers," I paused, making sure they were focused on me. "This will never happen again. Trust me."

"Bypassed the initial encryption. But I have narrowed down the firewall to a seven-letter word. Any ideas?"

My pulse spiked, my grip tightening on the tablet. They were close to discovering what was on that drive. Would there be evidence tying Sienna to the cartel? Or proof of her innocence? Or something worse, something that could unravel Atlas and everything I had built?

The PR lead cleared her throat, pulling me back to the meeting. "We've drafted a statement expressing support for the casualties," she said, just as I received notification of a shared document from her. "Public donations to the victims' fund, a press conference tomorrow to show transparency. We need your approval."

I scanned the document, the words blurring as Sienna's voice crackled through my earpiece: "Try E..L...L...I..S...O..N."

My breath hitched at that word. Ellison? There was no way she was linked to that name. The desktop's soft chime confirmed access, and Belinda's squeal pierced the audio feed. They'd cracked the flash drive and now its contents were waiting to be exposed.

"Zane?" The PR prompted, her brow furrowing.

I stood abruptly. "Looks solid," I said curtly. "Run it. I need to go make an urgent call."

The PR lead just stared at me blankly before she nodded. I smiled at the screen before punching the red button to drop the call.

My earpiece fed me every sound from the tech room as Belinda's demand for privacy. My thumb hovered over the tablet, the live feed ready to show me everything they saw. Part of me wanted to storm to the tech room, rip the drive from their hands, and demand answers. But another part needed to know who Sienna really was, what she'd been hiding, and whether I had been a fool to let her get under my skin.

I slid onto the leather couch, creaking under me, and propped the tablet on the edge. The tech room's CCTV feed filled the screen; Sienna and Belinda hunched over the desktop, their faces illuminated by the monitor's glow. Sienna's fingers were trembling as she clicked the folder. "Here we go," she whispered.

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The tie around my neck felt like a noose, and I yanked it loose, the silk slipping through my fingers as my eyes burned into the wall. The tablet propped on the desk, its screen mirroring the old desktop in the tech room where Sienna and Belinda were unraveling my world. The folder glared back from the screen, its awful content twisting in my gut.

My father, Gregory Calloway, had been murdered not by some rival gang, like I had been made to believe, but by Frederick Ellison's order. The man I had seen laughing with my father over whiskey during their presumed business meetings. I had always known Dad's death wasn't random, but this was a gut punch. Ellison had covered it up, ensured the case went cold, and I had been too naive to question it. And now, his daughter...Sienna. My Sienna was sitting two floors away, holding the key to my destruction.

My chest tightened as her face flashed in my mind, those hazel eyes, the way her lips curved when she thought I wasn't looking, the quiet strength that had drawn me to her from the moment she walked into my office. I had fallen for her, hard and fast. I had protected her, kept her safe from the vipers circling my world, but now I saw the truth. She was Frederick Ellison's daughter, the heir to his bloody legacy, and she was holding a drive that could burn everything I had built to the ground.

I leaned back in my chair and raked my hands through my hair. How had I missed it? The reports after the Ellison fire incident had said the whole family was dead: Frederick, his wife, and their daughter. I had mourned them, or at least the idea of them, but Sienna had survived. Was it chance? Or had she known who I was all along, biding her time, waiting to use that drive to take what my father had died for? The thought made my stomach churn, but I couldn't shake it.

If she decides to leak those files, it would tie me to my father's cartel, expose Atlas as a front, and bring every rival gang in LA down on us. Everything I had bled for would collapse. But worse, it would expose her, too. Sienna Ellison, daughter of the devil himself. Did she know that? Did she care?

I got out of my seat and walked away from my desk, stopping by the window, pressing my forehead against the cool glass. My friends all looked to me to hold this together, to keep Atlas standing and the cartel's enemies at bay. Liam and Ethan would understand, maybe even forgive Sienna if I could convince them she wasn't a threat. Noah, sick as he was, wouldn't care either way. But Damian? I could already see his sneer, his eyes darkening at the mention of Ellison's name. He would never accept her, not once he knew who she really was. He would see her as a snake, just like her father, and he would push me to cut her out permanently. Could I look at Sienna, whom I had fallen for, and see only her father's sins?

I turned back to the tablet, clenching my hands. The files were still open; if Sienna wanted power, she could have it. Those documents were enough to take me down, to rally the cartel's remnants under her, to make deals with our rivals. She could be queen of this city, just like her father had been king. But would she? That was the question gnawing at me. Was she loyal to me, to Atlas, or to herself? To her father's dark desires? I needed to know. I needed to test her, to see if she would come to me with the truth.

My mind raced faster, spinning through my options. I could confront her right away and demand the drive just to see how she would react. But that would tip my hand, show her I had been watching alongside them. Or I could wait, play dumb, let her think I hadn't seen the files. Give her a chance to come clean and to prove she was still the woman I had trusted and loved. Love? The thought of that word suddenly felt odd. Could I still love the daughter of the man who had killed my father? Could I trust her not to finish what he started?

The study door creaked, and I flinched, my hand instinctively dropping to the drawer to hide the tablet. But it was the housekeeper, poking her head in. "Mr. Calloway, dessert is ready in the dining hall. Will you be joining Ms. Carter and Ms. Adams?"

I forced a nod, my throat tight. "Yeah. I will be there in a minute."

She disappeared, and I leaned forward, scrubbing my hands over my face as I walked out of the study to the hallway. Sienna would be there, probably still reeling from what she had seen on that drive. I could watch her to see if she gave anything away. If she looked at me differently, or her eyes avoided mine. I would know then, wouldn't I? If she was planning to use the drive against me, or if she was as lost as I was.

My heart thudded with each step, feeling heavier than the last. What would I say? How could I look at her, knowing what I knew, and not let it show? I was drowning in my own head, the questions piling up every second.

The dining hall opened before me, and my eyes found her first. Sienna sat by the window with Belinda across from her, a glass of wine in her hand. Her eyes flickered towards me as I entered and our gazes locked. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her lips parted slightly, like she was holding her breath.

"Zane," she said, "I didn't hear you come in."

I forced a smile. "Got caught up in some work." My voice sounded calm, but inside, I was a storm. I took the chair at the head of the table, my eyes never leaving her. "Everything okay?"

She hesitated, her fingers tightening around her wine glass. "Yeah. Just... a long day."

Belinda's gaze darted between us. "You look like you have seen a ghost, Zane," she said,

I laughed. "With that bomb earlier, I believe I have really." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. A server poured me a glass of wine, the liquid sloshing slightly. "What about you two? What's got you holed up in the tech room?"

Sienna's eyes flicked to Belinda, then back to me. "Just... going through some old files," she said. "Nothing important."

My chest tightened. She was lying. Or at least, not telling the whole truth. I took a sip of wine and leaned back, watching her. "Old files, huh? Anything I should know about?"

Her fingers twitched, and she set her glass down. "Not really. Just... personal stuff."

Belinda raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent, her eyes on Sienna. I wanted to push for the truth, but I held back. This was the test. Would she come to me and tell me about the drive, or would she keep it hidden to plot her next move? I needed to know, but every second I looked at her, I saw her father's shadow, and it tore me apart.

I had built this Atlas to honor my father, to prove I could be more than the son of a cartel king. But now, with Sienna sitting across from me, the daughter of his killer, I didn't know what I was fighting for anymore. All I knew was that I had to play this carefully, or I would lose everything. And as her eyes met mine, soft and searching, I wondered if I already had.

SIENNA.

I lay in the guestroom bed, the luxury sheets felt cool against my skin, but they did nothing to soothe the fire raging inside me. I turned onto my side, facing a window with its drape parted; the sequin lining was transparent enough to see the city. The light's reflection from its streets seeped through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows just as the hum of the air-conditioning system buzzed faintly in the room.

Beside me, Belinda's soft snore filled the silence, her body comfortably tucked under the covers. She had fallen asleep hours ago, oblivious to the storm tearing through me. I had insisted on sharing this room with her, clinging to her familiar presence because being alone that night would have broken me. The flash drive's secrets had left me more terrified than anything.

I twitched my fingers to my neck, itching to reach for the warmth of the locket pendant, but that was gone. The locket had now become my biggest source of panic, its broken pieces tucked inside my jacket pocket across the room. I didn't need to hold it to feel its weight anymore, it wasn't an anchor. I wished I had not opened that folder, knowing that kind of truth which could unravel everything I thought I knew about myself, about him, about the world I had been dragged into. And the worst of it was the truth that clawed at my chest was what he had done to Zane's father.

I turned onto my other side, facing Belinda. She stirred but didn't wake. My eyes traced the faint outline of her profile, her dark curls splayed across the pillow. She was my anchor that night as always. When I begged her to share her room, claiming I just needed company, she hadn't pried, even though I saw the questions in her eyes with shaky hands as I poured us wine earlier.

I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to block out the gory images that kept flashing behind my lids along with Zane's face. The way his dark eyes seemed to see straight through me was another reason I had decided to sleep next to Bel. I was avoiding the moments when it was just the two of us. I couldn't trust myself around him, not with the information I now had.

Not when his every look and touch made my heart race until my knees weakened. If I let myself get too close and let the words spill out, I would lose him. He would hate me. How could he not? My father had ordered the hit on his father to secure his own power. The undeniable truth was tearing me apart.

I shifted again, feeling the pillow beneath my head become too thin. I tangled my legs in the fabric as I tried to find a position that didn't make me feel like I was suffocating as uneasiness settled over me. I wanted do lots of things at once, to scream, to throw something, to run until my lungs gave out. But I couldn't.

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 2:47 a.m. The numbers glowed red, mocking me as sleep slipped further away with every tick of the second hand. My mind churned, replaying the options I had been wrestling with all night. I could tell Zane everything. Lay it all bare. I imagined his face when I tell him of my father's crimes, his father's murder, the blood that stained my family's name. The way his jaw would tighten, the way his eyes would darken with betrayal. He would never look at me the same way again. The thought sent a fresh wave of nausea rolling through me, and I pressed a hand to my stomach to stop it.

Or I could take the other path. The one my father had wanted for me. The flash drive wasn't just a record of his sins; it was everything I needed to take the wheel: names of allies, enemies, suppliers, and routes. By stepping into his shoes, I would be able to seize control of the cartel he had built. I could become what my father had been: a monster. The idea made my skin crawl. I didn't want that. I didn't want to be a monster that would have to live a life where every decision was stained with blood. But the thought lingered, tempting me. Wielding that kind of power meant safety and control. I wouldn't have to feel this helpless and afraid ever again.

I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling. My throat tightened, and I blinked hard, fighting the sting of tears. I wouldn't cry. Not here, not now. Crying wouldn't change what I had learned nor erase the blood on my family's name. I needed a plan, something to hold onto, that would keep me from spiraling into the abyss. I couldn't tell Zane, not yet. But I couldn't sit on that information either, letting it fester inside me until it drove me mad. There had to be a way to make this right, to prove to myself, to Zane, that I wasn't my father.

As the clock chimed 3 am, an idea came slowly, and I sat up, holding my knees up until it touched my chin. I wrapped my arms over my legs, settling my head on my knees. I could use the drive's content not to take over, but to dismantle it all. The rival cartel Zane had been fighting for years, since the details of their names, locations, and weaknesses were in those files, too. If I could take them down, if I could give Zane that victory, maybe it would be enough to rebuild his trust. I would tell him the truth after, when the dust settled, when I had proven I wasn't my father's daughter. Although the idea was a gamble, I was determined to follow through with it. It wouldn't be easy. But it was better than becoming the monster my father wanted, or losing Zane to the truth I was not ready to face.

My racing heartbeat slowly eased as the decision settled over me. I closed my eyes, picturing the look on Zane's face when I handed him the flash and confessed everything, and before begging for his forgiveness.

I turned my head, glancing at Belinda again. Her chest rose and fell calmly, untouched by the chaos that consumed me. Part of me wanted to wake her up and tell her about my dangerous plan, but I didn't have the heart to disturb her peaceful sleep.

I slowly lay back, pulling the blanket higher, and closed my eyes, willing my body to let go of the tension that coiled through every muscle. My decision was made. And as dawn crept closer, my eyelids grew heavy, winning out over the deadly chaos in my mind.

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Belinda leaned against the seat, arms crossed, her eyes tracking my every move. The air between us crackled with unspoken questions, the kind that had been piling up since I had informed her of my deadly decision. I stared ahead at the dinner, where I was sure.

"You sure about this, Sienna?" Belinda's voice cut through the hum of the city with an edge that made my pulse jump. She straightened, leaning closer, "Going out there alone, meeting these people, it's a dangerous risk. You know that."

I forced a smile, hoping it looked more confident than I felt. "I'm not alone. You and Jason are with me."

I turned to look out of the window at the Café. I couldn't let Belinda see how scared I was. Not when I was so close to proving I could handle this and that she could trust me to stand on my own.

Her hand landed gently on my shoulder, and I stiffened. "You don't have to do this to prove anything," she said, her voice almost pleading. "I trust you, Sienna. But these people, they're not playing games. If something goes wrong..."

"It won't." I turned to face her, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were etched into the surrounding lines.

"I can handle it, I need to do this, for me. For us."

She studied me for a long moment, then let out a slow breath. "Alright. But you call me the second anything feels off. Promise me."

I nodded, my throat tight. "I promise."

I hopped out of the car, feeling the hair on my neck rise. It wasn't just Belinda and Jason watching me. I could feel other eyes on me, too. This thing, I didn't panic or turn around to discover who they were. It was all in the plan. To draw them to me and meet in public, where I can finally reach them.

I took a deep breath before turning the door knob, then let it out slowly. I stepped into the old café downtown, and it was exactly as I remembered it from the last time I was there, weeks back. It's dim lights, worn leather booths, and the faint scent of coffee and grease hanging in the air. The scarred-faced man had approached me here, and it was the perfect spot to have a meeting with them.

I sat in the same booth I had been in last time, my hands clasped tightly in my lap, the USB drive in my pocket. Outside, Jason and Bel waited in the car, visible through the tinted windows of the black SUV parked across the street. I could feel their watchful eyes on me, but it did little to calm the storm in my chest.

I was terrified. My heart started pounding so hard that I was sure the other patrons could hear it, and my palms were slick with sweat, despite the cool air. But I wasn't the same girl who had sat in this booth months ago, trembling at the sight of the scarred-faced man. Back then, I had been paralyzed by fear, my PTSD turning every shadow into a threat. Now, I know the truth about my family. That knowledge was my power, and I clung to it like a lifeline.

When the bell above the door jingled, my head snapped up on instinct to check who it was, but it was just a tired-looking waitress carrying a tray of empty mugs. I forced myself to breathe. I had chosen this booth deliberately, tucked in the corner where I could see the door but stay out of sight. The scarred-faced man would find me. He always did.

I sipped my coffee as the minutes dragged by while I waited, distracting myself with the other patrons who were enjoying their evening. A couple in the corner laughed over their food, an old man at the counter nursed a beer, and a group of college kids huddled around a laptop, conversing in a hushed tone. No one paid me any attention, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The cartel had eyes everywhere. I learned that the hard way.

A shadow fell over my table, and my breath caught. I looked up, and there he was...the scarred-faced man, sliding into the booth across from me with the ease of someone who had done this a hundred times. His face was just as I remembered it, a jagged scar running from his temple to his jaw, pulling his features into a permanent grimace. His eyes were cold and assessing, but there was something else in them now...curiosity, maybe, or amusement. He leaned back, one arm draped over the back of the booth, his leather jacket creaking softly.

"You're not shaking this time," he said, "That's new."

I swallowed, forcing my hands to stay still in my lap. "I'm not the same person I was."

He tilted his head, studying me. "No, you're not. You've got your father's fire now. It took you long enough."

The mention of my father sent a jolt through me, but I didn't flinch. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "What do you want?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. "You've been following me, watching me. Let's cut to the chase. What's it going to take to make this stop?"

His lips twitched, not quite a smile. "Straight to the point. I like that." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his scarred hands folding together. "You know what we want, Sienna. The fund. The nest egg your father stole. Hand it over, and we're done. No more fights. No more battles with your little boyfriend."

My stomach twisted at the mention of Zane, but I kept my expression neutral. "And if I give it to you? What's to stop you from coming after me again?"

He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent a chill down my spine. "You don't trust me?"

"Should I?" I shot back,

His eyes gleamed, and for a moment, I saw his expression soften. "Smart girl. But you've got my word. You give us what we want, and we're gone. You and Calloway can play house, live your little lives. We don't care about you. We just want what's ours."

I studied him, searching for a lie in his words, but his gaze was steady, unyielding. My fingers itched to reach for the drive, to pull it out and hand it over right then and there. But I couldn't. Not yet. I needed to be sure.

"And if I say no?" I asked, testing him.

His expression darkened. "Then this gets messy. For you. For Calloway. For everyone you care about."

His words hung in the air, making my heart pound, but I didn't look away. I couldn't afford to. "I'll give you the funds," I said finally. "But I need to know you'll keep your word. No tricks."

He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "You bring it to the old warehouse by the creek downtown. Tomorrow night. Come alone. That's the only way this works."

The thought of walking into that warehouse alone sent shivers down my spine, but I nodded. "Fine. Alone."

He leaned back, satisfied. "Good. Don't make me regret trusting you, Sienna."

I reached for my coffee, needing something to ground me, to keep my hands from shaking. "I won't," I said.

When I looked up, he was gone. The booth across from me was empty, the air still carrying the faint scent of leather and cigarette smoke. I was scared and terrified, but beneath it all, a fire burned. I was my father's daughter, and I was done running. Tomorrow night, I will face the cartel, hand over the funds, and bring this to a close. For me. For Zane. For the life we could have if I could just prove I was strong enough.

I stood, my legs steady despite the fear clawing at my chest, and walked out of the café, the USB drive in my pocket, which gave me a thrill. Belinda's eyes met mine through the car window, and I gave her a small nod. I was okay. For now. But tomorrow, everything could change.

ZANE.

"What's with the face?" Damian said as the door swung open, and Damian strode into my office, his heavy boots thudding against the floor. Liam followed, his steps quieter. I was forced to quickly toss the tablet into the drawer, and with it, every thought of Sienna and her secrets.

Damian's leather jacket was scuffed, his dark hair mussed like he'd been running his hands through it, and his eyes burned with something dangerous. He didn't sit, just stood there, arms crossed, staring at me like I'd already fucked up. Liam took the chair across from my desk, his tailored suit pristine, his fingers steepled as he watched me with that cool, assessing gaze.

"I'm good." I said, massaging my left eye with a finger. Damian tossed a photograph onto my desk, the glossy paper sliding across the polished surface. "Care to explain this?"

I took one long look at the photo to see what it showed, and my stomach churned, but I forced my face to stay blank, leaning forward to pick it up. There she was, Sienna, sitting in that damn café booth and across from her was the scarred-faced man, his jagged features unmistakable even in the grainy image. They were talking and there was no trace of the fear she used to carry as her eyes locked into his. The sight hit me like a punch, but I kept my expression neutral, tossing the photo back onto the desk.

"Looks like she's having coffee," I said, leaning back in my chair. "What's your point?"

Damian's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. "My point? She's cozying up with a fucking cartel member, Zane. One of their guys. yet, you're going to sit there and act like that's nothing?"

Liam raised a hand, "Let's not jump to conclusions. Zane, you were supposed to watch her, yet she sneaked out or you let her go. So what's this about?"

I met Liam's gaze. He was always the cool-headed one, the CFO who could talk his way out of a war or into one without breaking a sweat. But Damian wasn't having it. He stepped closer, slamming his hands on the desk, the photo rattling under his palms.

"Don't play dumb, Zane," he growled. "I saw her with him. I followed her, watched them talk like they were old friends. She's hiding something. And you..." He jabbed a finger at me. "You're acting like you don't give a shit. What do you know?"

My pulse kicked up, but I kept my face blank, my fingers drumming lightly on the armrest. Inside, my thoughts were a storm. Sienna's connection to the cartel wasn't news to me anymore. But knowing and facing it were two different beasts, and now, with Damian's anger burning a hole through me, the truth felt like a weight I couldn't carry.

"I know enough," I said finally, "She's tied to them. She's not Carter. Her real name is Sienna Ellison. Her father was Frederick Ellison. As you know, he ran with the cartel, called the shots until he double-crossed his people. Including my father."

The room went still with tension. Damian's eyes widened. "Are you fucking kidding me? Her father killed Gregory, and you're just sitting here, letting her run around with our enemies? What the hell, Zane?"

Liam leaned forward, his voice cutting through Damian's rage. "Hold on. Circle back. Zane, you're saying Sienna's father was the one who ordered the hit on your dad? And you've known this for how long?"

I swallowed, my throat dry. "Two days ago. She doesn't know I know."

Damian let out a harsh laugh, stepping back to pace the room, his boots pounding the floor. "Unbelievable. Your PA, your little girlfriend, is the daughter of the bastard who ruined your life, and you're keeping it from us? From her? What's your play here, Zane? You going to let her walk all over you because you're in love with her?"

The word love hit like a blade, slicing through the walls I had built around my feelings. I didn't flinch, but my chest tightened, my hands curling into fists under the desk. I wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong, that Sienna was just a liability, a loose end I would tie up when the time came. But the lie wouldn't form. I saw her in my mind, heard her laugh, fierce and unbroken despite the fear in her eyes. I saw the way she looked at me when she thought I wasn't watching.

"I'm not in love with her," I said,. "But I'm not going to kill her either. Not yet."

Damian stopped pacing, his eyes blazing. "Not yet? You've gone soft, Zane. You used to gut anyone who crossed you. Traitors, liars, didn't matter. Now you're hesitating because what...she's got a pretty face? She's playing you, man. And you're letting her."

"Enough," Liam snapped. He stood, adjusting his cuffs. "Yelling isn't going to solve this. Zane, you've got a choice to make. If Sienna's tied to the cartel, if she's meeting them behind your back, we need to know where her loyalty lies. You can't just sit on this."

I leaned forward, my elbows on the desk, my head pounding. "I know that," I said. "I'm not blind. But she's not just some pawn. She's..." I stopped, the words catching in my throat. She was Sienna, the woman who had slipped under my skin despite every warning I had given myself. She was also the woman whose father had destroyed my family. The contradiction was tearing me apart, duty and desire at war in my head.

Damian scoffed, crossing his arms. "She's what? Your soulmate? Wake up, Zane. She's the enemy's daughter. She's meeting with them, hiding shit from you. You think that's a coincidence? She's playing both sides, and you're too busy staring at her to see it."

"Damian," Liam said, his tone a warning. "Back off. He gets it."

"Do you?" Damian shot back, his eyes locked on mine. "Because from where I'm standing, you're letting her walk all over you. Noah is in the hospital, fighting for his life, and you're here, mooning over a traitor. What's it going to take, Zane? Her sticking a knife in your back before you do something?"

My hands shook, and I pressed them flat against the desk, forcing myself to stay calm.

"I'm handling it. But we don't know her game yet. She's not stupid. If she's meeting them, there's a reason. And I'm not going to make a move until I know what it is."

Damian threw his hands up. "You're unbelievable. You're going to let her string you along until she burns everything we've built. The empire, the brotherhood, everything your father died for. You really think she's worth that?"

The room spun, my vision narrowing to Damian's face, his words echoing in my head. My father's death and the promises I had made to carry on his legacy. The empire we had built, me, Liam, Damian, Noah, and Ethan, was all I had, the only thing that kept me grounded when the world tried to tear me apart. And Sienna, with her secrets, was threatening to unravel it all. But the thought of her being dead made my chest ache in a way I couldn't explain.

Liam stepped between us. "We will test her," he said, his eyes on me. "Set her up, see what she does. If she's loyal, she'll prove it. If she's not..." He let the words hang in the air.

I nodded, feeling my throat tighten. "Fine. A test. But I call the shots. Nobody touches her until I say so."

Damian shook his head vehemently. "You're making a mistake, Zane. And when this blows up in your face, don't say I didn't warn you." He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Liam asked, "You sure about this? I think Damian is actually right. She's got you twisted up. I've never seen you like this."

I looked away, my gaze drifting to the photo on the desk, Sienna's face staring back at me. "I don't know what I am anymore," I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "But I need to know the truth before deciding."

Liam nodded, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Then we'll find it. Together."

I picked up the photo, my thumb brushing over Sienna's face. I was torn between duty and feelings. To choose to defend my empire or my heart. The choice was coming soon, whether I was ready to choose or not.