ht noticed but didn’t say anything.
Zayden introduced, "This is Azalea Cole Virelli, my sister."
Azalea nodded at ht, and he nodded back.
Another young woman with lighter hair and shiny eyes moved to Liam and stood close to him. He wrapped his arm around her.
Zayden continued, "This is Ayla."
ht smiled politely, but his eyes kept drifting to the door, waiting.
Then she walked in, and ht caught his breath.
A young woman in her twenties ca in with long dark hair and striking features.
And her eyes, just like Sibel’s. ht couldn’t help but stare. She paused in the doorway, looking back. Recognition flickered on her face as she slowly stepped further into the room.
Zayden studied her, concerned, "You okay?"
Aylin nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I’m good."
But she kept glancing at ht before turning to face him completely.
"You. You’re that guy. From the flight. Two years ago. In Istanbul."
ht grinned widely, looking truly happy.
"Yeah... you rember."
Aylin nodded. "You helped at the airport. You gave directions and said—" She paused. "You said I reminded you of soone."
ht nodded again. "Right. I was talking about your mom. Back then, I didn’t know you were Sibel’s daughter."
Aylin felt tears well up. She shook her head and smiled. "What a small world."
"It really is."
They stood there for a mont, just looking at each other, two people connected by their past, by loss, and by family.
Zayden cleared his throat, breaking the mont.
"Now that we’re all here, we should talk about why we’re gathered."
He looked at ht. "What do you want to tell her?"
ht turned to Aylin, his expression becoming serious.
"You already did what I was going to ask you to do. You exposed Alpha. You took down his empire and got justice."
He paused.
"But I needed to et you face to face to share sothing... sothing you need to know."
Aylin waited as ht took a breath.
"I know who killed your dad."
The room went completely silent.
Aylin felt the room start to spin. Zayden was right there, steadying her. She grabbed his arm and nodded.
ht continued, "Five years ago, your dad started looking into Alpha again. We thought Alpha was just a drug dealer, but your dad dug deeper and found sothing way worse."
He paused again.
"Human trafficking. Girls. Auctions. Everything you uncovered last week... it was all real."
Aylin nodded; she was already aware of this part. ht kept going.
"Your dad sent so files and asked to co over to Turkey. We were supposed to put everything together, the file for the Alpha arrest warrant."
His voice got heavier.
"I was in the US. I booked a flight, but the next day—" He paused. "I got the news. Your dad was dead. Car accident. Brake failure."
Aylin’s hands were shaking. ht looked at her, his eyes full of pain.
"It wasn’t just an accident. Soone tipped off Alpha... let him know about the investigation, the files, everything."
He took a deep breath. "That soone..."
He paused, his eyes locking onto hers.
"...was Alexander Kane."
Aylin gasped. She had a feeling, but hearing it for sure felt different. ht went on.
"Alexander wasn’t even in town when it happened, but he had connections. He told Alpha, and Alpha hired soone to ss with your dad’s car."
Aylin’s voice was barely above a whisper. "Who? Who ssed with the brake lines?"
ht t her eyes.
"A chanic. A low-level thug who worked at a garage your dad used. Alpha paid him to ss with the brakes." He paused.
"The car crashed and burned. All the evidence was destroyed, and your dad was inside. By the ti they got him out—" ht’s voice broke. "By the ti the ambulance showed up, he was already gone."
Tears rolled down Aylin’s face, but she didn’t say anything. ht kept going.
"The chanic? Alpha had him arrested with fake drug charges two weeks later and sent him to prison. He died there... stabbed, six months in." He paused again.
"Alpha cleaned up the loose ends, covered his tracks, and your dad’s investigation died with him."
Aylin looked at Zayden. He was watching her... steady and supportive. She turned back to ht.
"Everyone who hurt my family is gone now. Alpha, the chanic, Alexander."
Her voice sounded hollow. "They’re all dead."
ht nodded. "Yeah. Justice was served. Not the way we wanted... but it was done."
Aylin wiped her eyes and took a shaky breath. "Thanks for telling . Really, thanks for coming all this way."
ht stepped forward and opened his arms. Aylin walked into his embrace and let him hold her tight, like a father would.
"I’m so sorry," he whispered. "For everything. For not protecting him. For not finding you sooner."
Aylin pulled back and looked at him.
"It’s not on you. Not at all."
ht nodded, but the guilt was still clear in his eyes.
The room was quiet for a long mont until ht spoke again.
"You’re Lunel, right?"
Aylin gave a small smile. "Yeah."
"I’m really glad. Glad you wrapped up what your folks started. Glad you took down Alpha."
Aylin shook her head. "It wasn’t just . We did it as a team."
She looked around at Zayden, Azalea, Leo, Reyes, Kade, Liam, Charles, and Ayla.
"I failed when I went solo. But I won with them. Without this team, I couldn’t have done it."
Zayden stepped up. "We did it together."
Leo nodded. "For all the victims. For justice."
Reyes added quietly, "For your parents."
Kade chid in. "For everyone Alpha hurt."
Liam smiled. "We finished what they started."
Charles looked over at ht. "What Marcus and Sibel began, their daughter finished."
Ayla squeezed Aylin’s hand. "And she had family with her the whole way."
Azalea smiled. "That’s what family does."
ht looked around, taking in the sight of them... this team, this family. He smiled.
He felt hope. Maybe, just maybe, Marcus and Sibel’s sacrifice ant sothing after all.
Their daughter had survived, thrived, found love, found family, and found her purpose.
And she had taken down the monster who took them from her.
Justice was served. The cycle was whole. ht looked at Aylin.
"Your parents would be so proud of you."
Aylin smiled through her tears. "I hope so."
Zayden wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close. "They are. I promise."
As the sun set outside the windows, casting a warm glow across the office, the team stood together... united, victorious, and healed.
The fight was over. The truth was finally out. And for the first ti... they could breathe.
*****
Leo stood in the doorway, arms crossed and jaw tight. He hadn’t slept... couldn’t. Too many thoughts crowded his mind, too many questions.
Zayden was at his desk, going through files and paperwork as he got ready.
The court hearing was just three hours away.
Finally, Leo asked, "What’s going on with Selina?"
Zayden looked up and put the file down.
"The FBI. What are they planning to do with her?"
Zayden took a mont before responding, staring at the papers in front of him. Then he said, "They’re not just going to let her go."
Leo’s jaw tensed up. "For how long?"
Zayden exhaled slowly. "It all depends on her. If she cooperates fully, gives them everything: nas, routes, accounts, all of it, and testifies in court..."
He went quiet and t Leo’s gaze.
"They’ll go a bit easier on her."
"Easier how?" Leo asked, doubt creeping into his voice.
"A few years, not a life sentence."
Leo glanced away, running a hand through his hair, uneasy. That answer didn’t sit well with him, but it was better than he’d expected.
"And if she doesn’t?" he asked quietly.
Zayden’s tone remained steady. "Then they’ll throw the book at her like everyone else."
An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Then, the quiet was broken by a buzz.
Zayden’s phone buzzed on the desk. He looked at the screen and sat up a little straighter.
"It’s the officer," he said.
Leo didn’t move.
Zayden picked up the call, turning slightly away but still in the room.
"Yeah."
There was a pause, and Leo noticed a subtle change in Zayden’s expression.
"She agreed?"
Another pause followed, longer this ti.
"Alright. Yeah. Got it."
He hung up and slowly lowered the phone.
Leo pushed away from the doorway. "What’s up?"
Zayden looked at him. "She’s on board... totally. She already gave her statent, a confession, everything."
Leo’s chest tightened. "And?"
"They’re taking it to court today. After that—" Zayden paused. "Now... her fate is in the judge’s hands."
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