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Returning her smile, I thank her and quietly follow behind.

We pass countless glass-walled offices, and at the end of a long hallway stands a massive conference room.

She stops at the door, opens it, then steps aside to let me enter first.

As soon as I appear in the doorway, every head turns to me.

Ethan, Nick, Sierra, Kai, Noah, Ryan, Chris, and Liam are all here. But they’re not alone.

Four men I’ve never seen before are sitting with them.

“Selene, welcome,” Ethan says, rising from his chair.

“Hi, everyone,” I greet them, heading straight for him.

We hug briefly, and Sierra immediately appears beside me.

“Selene, wow. You look incredible,” she says, holding me at arm’s length to admire my outfit.

I’ve always loved fashion, and I’ve always worn outfits that stand out.

Not everyone could pull off the things I wear. They’re not exactly… subtle.

“Ser, I’m happy to see you,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her.

“We still can’t believe you renovated our parents’ houses and none of us knew,” Kai says once we’re all seated around the conference table, after I’ve hugged everyone and been introduced to the other four men.

So Zayn had been telling the truth.

No one knew I was the one behind that project.

“You did an amazing job,” Ryan tells me from my right.

The conversation flows naturally, like old friends reconnecting after years apart.

Only now do I realize how much I missed them.

Back when things with my ex were still… normal, I became so consumed by that relationship that I stopped investing in the people who actually mattered to me.

“So, should we start?” Colt asks with a smile.

There’s something about him that catches my attention. The way he talks, the way he carries himself—it’s all wrapped in an aura I can’t quite read.

Looking around the table almost makes me laugh because it genuinely feels like they held auditions and only the most attractive men alive were allowed into this tight-knit group.

Family, as they call it.

Every single one of them commands attention. They all carry the calm, untouchable confidence wealthy people seem born with.

But Colt is different.

There’s definitely something dangerous about him.

“Glad you waited for me,” Zayn says as he walks through the door.

“Looks like we’ve all gotten used to you being late,” I reply, not thinking about where we are.

Just like at the casino, silence stretches over the room. Even Ethan stops clicking his mouse.