Matt and Nina positioned themselves on opposite sides of the gathering, neither acknowledging the other directly. Yet I caught Matt’s gaze following hermovements when he thought no one was looking, and I noticed how Nina seemed hyperaware of his position at all times, as well.
Cristo had somehow moved even closer to Cara, his body angled toward her protectively. She seemed both nervous and pleased by his attention, her shy demeanor brightening whenever he spoke directly to her.
The Zotov siblings communicated in half glances and subtle gestures, a language probably developed through years of depending on each other. They were constantly checking in with each other, maintaining an invisible support network.
And Ivan—Ivan kept his distance physically, but I felt it whenever his attention shifted to me.
Each time I glanced in his direction, he was looking elsewhere, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that his awareness remained fixed on me.
And he was right. Love and attraction made people reckless, protective, sometimes irrational—and none of these had any place right here, right now.
But it also gave them something to fight for beyond themselves. And everybody here, be it Zotovs, Falcones, or Salvinis, had one thing in common. They all loved their family above all else, and they would fight for their safety.
“I should check security again,” Ivan said suddenly, breaking into my thoughts.
“I’ll come with you,” Nina said, standing.
A flicker of tension crossed Ivan’s face before he nodded. The two walked away.
The gathering began to break up naturally after that. Cristo suggested checking on the security systems with Anton, and Dom decided to tag along, while Fee declared she needed a proper shower, which immediately piqued Alex’s interest.
I watched them go, a knot forming in my stomach, since Vince’s focus had shifted to me. “A talk?” was all he said.
Two words, and I knew I was doomed.
He for sure wanted to know what had been going on between Ivan and me.
Jemma stretched languidly, announcing she was going to raid the kitchen. “You must be hungry too,” she said as she stood, giving me a subtle glance and a head tilt toward my brother. “You probably haven’t had a proper meal in ages.”
I nodded like a parrot, wondering if escaping Vince was the right move. But it was better than explaining to my big brother the status of my relationship with his enemy.
Especially since I had no idea where we were standing. So how could I explain it to Vince without him immediately killing Ivan? Clearly, avoiding the whole conversation for as long as humanly possible was the way forward. I gave him a smile and a half shrug. “I’m famished; let’s talk later.”
Vince narrowed his eyebrows, clearly not happy, but also not ready to deny my need for food.
When I left with Mila, Jemma, and Mira, I caught Ivan watching me from farther down the walkway. Our eyes locked for a brief, electric moment before he turned away, resuming his conversation with Nina.
That small connection, fleeting as it was, gave me both hope and concern. Whatever was happening between us hadn’t disappeared—but it was definitely complicated.
Jemma squeezed my hand as we walked, a gesture of silent support. Despite our unusual start, we’d become fast friends. Mira took my other hand, and we intertwined our fingers. She was always the one who could sense my inner turmoil, even when I could hide it perfectly in front of everybody else.
“I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at him,” she whispered, too quiet for the others to hear.
I couldn’t deny it, so I said nothing.
This feeling of connection, of almost-normalcy—it wouldn’t last. Half an hour, then we would set our plan in motion, find the information, and hopefully be gone before Grey would return tomorrow.
25
IVAN
Ishut the door and blocked out the humming of the rest of the communications center. Banks of monitors cast blue light across Isabella’s concentrated face as she settled into the chair in front of one of the terminals.
The whole building was deliberately isolated from the rest of the compound—no windows, reinforced walls, a single entry point—completely self-sufficient.
Designed for security, not comfort.
I positioned myself beside her, close enough to assist but maintaining a professional distance that felt almost unnatural after last night. But I needed her focused.
