They were clearly in a rush and must have forgotten them." He pointed to the devices.

Zayden nodded, his face serious. "That works. We need to know what’s going on with her because she could be in serious danger. She’s tied to me now, and it’s my job to protect anyone who’s in trouble."

Leo raised an eyebrow and said, " Now, if I say you something, you’ll probably just brush it off and say, ’No way, I don’t love her.’ But seriously, Z, you’ve never cared about anyone like you do for her."

Zayden stayed quiet, still mulling over what Leo had just said. Was it really true? Did he actually love her, or was it just a strong feeling of caring?

Noticing Zayden’s silence, Leo pressed on, "Look, Z, I’ve said it before, you’re engaged to someone else. Even if you weren’t, she can’t really be yours. Your lives are too different. You can’t live with her like a normal couple; your world is way too dangerous for her. You can’t tell her about yourself."

Zayden shot him a look, narrowing his eyes. "Or what if she actually fits into my world? She’s not just some normal girl; look at the mess she’s in. She can’t have a normal life. If everything was fine, she wouldn’t be out here in the forest with me, all alone. Where’s her family? What’s she running from? It feels like there’s a lot more going on beneath her innocent smile."

Leo replied, "Or what if she’s hiding something behind that sweet façade just to betray you? What if she’s a spy sent to keep an eye on you? Then what would you do?"

Zayden shot back, "If she’ll betray me, I’d take care of it myself. I’ll kill her, I wouldn’t think twice about it." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Leo’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn’t seen Zayden like this in ages. The last time he’d witnessed such intensity was when Lunel got captured, and Zayden was ready to go all out to save him. Taking a deep breath, Leo said, "Okay, just take it easy. When it comes to that, we can figure out what to do together."

But Zayden wasn’t having any of it. "This isn’t a team effort; it’s about me. If she betrays me, I’ll take care of it myself. It’s none of your business." With that, he stormed out of the cabin, leaving Leo stunned.

Leo shook his head. Zayden had never talked to him like that before, even during tough situations. It was obvious this girl had changed him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that if Zeynep betrayed Zayden, his friend would be lost forever. Leo needed to find out the truth about Zeynep, and fast. If Zayden’s feelings for her grew, it would likely end in heartbreak.

First, he had to track down Lunel.

Along the way, he needed to figure out who the two intruders were who were after Zeynep. If he could find out who they were, it might lead him to more info about her. And getting Lunel on board would be a big help since he was the best hacker around.

Leo carefully gathered evidence, taking fingerprints from the tiles and cabinets by using scotch tape, and a little trace of blood he spotted on the cabinets. He tucked it all into his bag, feeling that each piece was crucial. Just as he was about to leave the kitchen, thoughts of Zeynep flooded his mind. He felt compelled to check on her and walked into the room.

When he stepped inside, he found her lying there, pale and weak, completely different from how vibrant she had seemed earlier. A surge of worry hit him; it was obvious she was in serious danger. However, he couldn’t shake the grim thought that as a girl, she might not last long in Zayden’s dangerous world. His family would never accept someone like her if she came from a middle-class background.

Meanwhile, Zayden was struggling with guilt for how he spoke to Leo. They had been friends for years, and he’d never lashed out like that. "Zeynep has really changed me," he thought, shaking his head in frustration. His feelings for her were so intense and confusing; he had never felt anything like this before. Love was new territory for him, and yet he felt driven to protect her, even at the risk of his own life. He inhaled deeply, looking up at the trees swaying gently in the breeze as dawn approached. Golden light filtered through the leaves, creating a warm glow all around.

Determined, Zayden made his way toward the cabin. Just as he reached the stairs, Leo came out, shooting him an icy glare that clearly expressed his anger. They brushed shoulders as

Leo walked past him and headed to the back of the cabin, disappearing into the tunnel. Zayden felt a sense of unease as he watched Leo slip away before climbing the stairs to enter the cabin.

In the dim tunnel, Leo hurriedly packed his stuff, getting ready to head into the city to meet with his team and dig into Zeynep’s background. Once he finished packing his bag, he set it aside and examined the two devices and the cable, he and Zayden had discovered, one in the kitchen and the other in the forest. As he turned them over in his hands, something clicked in his mind. He grabbed the wire that Zayden found in the bushes and looked at it closely with a magnifying glass.

Noticing a small button at the end, he pressed it. The wire vibrated and transformed into an antenna device, a soft blue light glowing as a holographic display appeared above it. Two buttons popped up on the screen, red and green, marked "start" and "stop."

Leo hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t resist the curiosity. He clicked on "start." Both devices beeped in response, lighting up in blue, while the holographic display prompted, "Which camera do you want to jam?"