Chapter 108: Fate Brings Them Back
She spotted Reyes with a guard; they didn’t say anything, he just nodded at her and took a seat with the guard in the first SUV.
Five SUVs were waiting, engines idling. She slipped into one with the two lead guards, and the convoy wound its way through dark highways. Two hours later, they pulled into an underground garage beneath a huge skyscraper, Zayden’s fortress in the middle of the city. A mafia vibe filled the air, with armed guards, dim lighting, and a hint of gun oil and power.
The place was a maze of shadows, with guards hanging out at every corner. As they led her through the echoing halls, whispers floated through the air.
"Who’s the chick?" one guard asked.
"Hot as hell. Does she work with us?" another replied.
"The boss never brings women here. She must be someone special," a third guard guessed.
They didn’t realize she was Lunel; to them, she was just an oddity in the Hazard King’s dude-dominated world.
Reyes was already waiting in the lobby, arms crossed, and his protective gaze locked on her right away. "Zey. You good?"
She nodded, and they shared a quick hug. "I’m fine. Thanks for being here."
She asked, "Is Ayla okay?"
"Yep, she’s good. Liam’s always with her. My men have got their backs; they’re both safe," he replied.
She nodded, feeling grateful. "Thanks, Reyes."
He looked at the guards with suspicion. "Remember what I said."
She nodded.
They took the elevator up to the top floor, Zayden’s private space. The doors opened to a huge office with dark wood furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows showing off the sparkling city, and a massive desk that looked like a throne. Leo was lounging in a chair next to the desk, smirking. Behind the desk sat Hazard King, masked, with blue eyes cutting through the darkness.
Aylin walked in with her head down, her heart pounding for some reason. Something familiar was pulling at her, a scent, a feeling. She wanted to look up but hesitated. Finally, she glanced up and saw Leo. Could he be the same guy from the woods? No way. Then her eyes shifted to the figure behind the desk, those same blue eyes. Memories flooded back of Zayden, the brooding hero who had patched her up and mentioned being married, stirring something forbidden during those few days before she took off.
On the other side, Zayden felt it too. Golden-brown eyes peeked out from under the mask; how could he forget those captivating eyes? They brought back feelings he thought he had buried, only to disappear like smoke. But Lunel? That seemed impossible.
Ten minutes felt like forever, silence thick and tension buzzing in the air. Reyes had been sent down to wait at Hazard King’s request. Leo was watching the whole scene unfold with a grin.
Finally, Zayden’s voice cut through the silence, deep and commanding, "Take off your mask."
She recognized that voice. Her hands trembled for a moment before steadying. She reached up and pulled it off. Their eyes locked, golden-brown meeting icy blue. The atmosphere felt frozen.
Leo’s jaw dropped. "What the...?"
Realization hit them like a freight train. Aylin’s breath caught, Zayden. The guy from the woods, the one who’d saved her from her pursuers, bandaged her up with his rough hands, stirred feelings in her she couldn’t quite identify. But now, he was Hazard King, the mafia boss. Seriously? The tycoon, the kingpin?
Zayden felt like his world had tipped upside down. Zeynep, his Zeynep, the fiercely independent Turkish girl who had barged into his life, made him rethink his solitude, then ghosted him without a word. But Lunel? The hacker he had been chasing, thinking lunel a male? Anger boiled up in him, hot and bitter. He had secretly loved her, hunted for her in the shadows, and now she stood there as both his savior and his trickster.
"You," he growled, standing up slowly, still wearing his mask, but his eyes fired up. "Zeynep."
"Aylin," she corrected him, her voice steady despite her pounding heart. "Or Lunel. And you... Zayden, Hazard King."
Leo got up, sensing tension building. "Z..."
"Get out," Zayden ordered sharply. Leo hesitated for a moment but then left, the door clicking shut behind him.
The room contracted to just the two of them. Zayden ripped off his mask, showing off his sharp jaw and the scar on his cheek from past battles, the face she had dreamed of but hated herself for missing. "You lied to me. Fake name, fake everything. You lived in my cabin, ate my food, let me... care for you. Then you vanished."
She lifted her chin defiantly. "You lied, too. Hiding that you’re a mafia king? I didn’t choose to crash into your life. I was running away, from Alpha, from hell. You saved me, sure. But I didn’t owe you my secrets."
He circled the desk, closing the space, like a predator eyeing its prey. But underneath the rage, his eyes showed hurt. "I searched for you for two years. Thought you were dead. And now? Lunel. A woman. The savior of my empire." He laughed bitterly. "Fate is so cruel."
She stepped back, her coat swirling, but her gaze didn’t falter. "I didn’t know it was you reaching out. I thought Hazard King was just some faceless tyrant. Now you need me to hack Alpha and Karza? Fine. But it’ll be on my terms. No cages."
He stepped closer, their breaths mixing. "You think you can set the rules? This is my world." Yet his hand lifted almost gently, brushing her cheek. "But damn it, Zey, Aylin. I never stopped wanting you."
Electricity sparked between them. She swatted his hand away, but it lingered. "Wanting? You don’t really know me. Lunel’s just a tool for you."
"No." His voice dropped, low and husky. "You’re the ghost I couldn’t forget. Betrayed? Yes. But alive? That means everything."
Footsteps echoed outside, and guards were moving around. Reyes’ voice came from the door, "Zey? Are you ok?"
Zayden’s eyes narrowed. "Your ’friend.’ The protective brother type?"
She nodded, misunderstanding Reyes’ feelings as sibling affection. "He’s family."
A knock came. "Boss? Trouble, Alpha’s scouts are spotted near the perimeter."
Zayden tensed, the mafia king coming back to the forefront. "Take care of it," he turned to Aylin, "This isn’t done. You’re staying. Here. With me."
She smirked, her golden eyes flashing. "Good luck trying to stop me from leaving."
He grabbed her wrist, gentle but firm. "I won’t let you run away again."
The door burst open, and Leo came in with his gun drawn. "Incoming!"
Gunfire erupted below. Chaos broke out. Zayden pushed Aylin behind the desk. "Stay down!"
She pulled a hidden knife from her boot. "I can fight."
Their eyes locked, past clashing with the present. Betrayal, love, and danger swirled around them. In that mafia storm, their reunion ignited, fierce and unbreakable.
