She frowned. "What is it?"
He didn't answer that. Instead, he said, "You've had a long day. Go freshen up. The water heater's still working, and the shower's clean. Take your time."
She looked at the delicate dress, which felt completely out of place after everything they had just gone through. Her hand brushed the fabric, then she slowly took it from him.
Still, she didn't say anything.
Zayden gave a small nod and turned to leave before she could say more, heading back to the kitchen.
The silence there felt like an old friend. He moved on autopilot, coffee grounds, kettle, mug. The routine was comforting, familiar, and steady.
The kettle hissed to life.
Steam curled against the window.
For a moment, the chaos outside, the blood, the lies, and the gunshots felt like they belonged to someone else.
He grabbed two mugs. Coffee didn't feel right unless he could share it with someone.
Zeynep was on the couch, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, with the flickering firelight casting shadows on her face. Her hands were shaking a bit, but she hid it pretty well until Zayden came over and set a mug of coffee down in front of her.
She looked up. "Thanks."
He sat across from her, elbows on his knees, his face unreadable.
"You ever going to tell me why you're running and why they're after you?"
She paused, then let out a shaky breath, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's not a grand story or anything."
Zayden didn't say anything; he just waited.
She stared down at her tea. "I used to work for a tech guy, the CEO of a startup in Istanbul. He was smart but shady. He started selling user data to rich clients on the dark web. When I found out, I reported him to the Turkish authorities and then just vanished."
Zayden squinted a bit and asked, "And he just let you walk away?"
"I didn't give him the chance," she said with a forced laugh. "I snagged some encrypted files as proof and vanished the same week. But… I guess he finally tracked me down."
Zayden kept glancing at her, feeling like something was off about what she was saying. Her story felt way too neat, like a perfect little package tied with a bow, complete with motives, a dramatic escape, and some danger. But then he reminded himself that the first time he asked her about it, she'd just walked away crying, and now she was dishing out this polished story.
and her voice…
It sounded a bit too rehearsed.
He nodded slowly, trying to look reassuring. "You're safe now," he said softly, "at least for the moment."
She managed a weak smile, but Zayden could see her heart racing beneath the surface.
Because none of it was true, they both knew that.
Every single word she said was a lie. There had never been a startup, no stolen files, and definitely no tech CEO in the picture.
Zeynep Koral was dealing with some real trouble, and her secrets ran way deeper than what she had just shared.
And Zayden did realize that he had just invited a whirlwind into his cozy cabin, and his life was about to get a lot more complicated. Both of their lives were dancing on the edge of danger, caught in a mess that could blow up at any moment.
Zayden comes out of the cabin and then goes to the hidden base.
Inside the Hidden Base
The man had been restrained and was now unconscious, thanks to Leo's latest injection and a swift blow to the jaw. The dim overhead lights buzzed faintly, illuminating the blood-spattered concrete and the maps scattered across the adjoining table.
Zayden stood against the far wall, one hand resting on his jaw while the other clenched a folded cloth stained with the intruder's blood. His mind seemed miles away.
Leo leaned on the steel table, wiping his knuckles with a bloodstained towel.
"You believe him?" Leo asked, not looking up.
"No," Zayden said flatly. "But I believe he doesn't know who gave the order."
Leo nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "Contract killers," he said, his voice low. "Invisible layers of ghosts, shrouded in secrecy. No names, no faces, this kind of mystery isn't new to us."
Zayden paused, his response hanging in the air as he turned his gaze toward the surveillance monitors. One displayed the cabin above, where Zeynep nestled comfortably on the couch. The firelight danced playfully against her features, illuminating her serene expression and casting soft shadows that accentuated the warmth of her presence in the cozy room. The crackling flames added a gentle soundtrack to the scene, creating an atmosphere that felt both intimate and inviting.
"She said she worked for some CEO. Tech fraud. Witness with a conscience," Zayden said after a pause.
Leo looked at him now, eyebrow raised. "And you bought that?"
Zayden shifted uneasily, his voice dropping to a murmur. "No," he admitted, "not really."
He stepped forward, voice lower, more deliberate. "I need you to find out who she is. Quietly. No flags. No actions that will make her disappear again."
Leo tilted his head, studying him. "So, you're getting involved in this?"
Zayden didn't deny it.
"She stepped into my line of fire, Leo. Her Eyes were blazing with defiance. Even when a gun was pointed at her face, she refused to flinch." His jaw tightened. "People like that don't just stumble into danger."
A moment of silence hung between them.
Then Leo asked, "You want the whole deal? Real name, background, everything?"
Zayden nodded. "Yeah, anything that can tell me if she's a threat or if I need to keep her safe from something worse than what she's saying."
Leo threw the towel into a bin. "Got it. I'll look into it."
Zayden started heading for the steel door, stopping as it slid open again with a hiss of pressurized air.
Leo called after him, his voice low and serious. "You sure you're not just trying to protect yourself from her?"
Zayden didn't turn back. "Not sure about anything," he replied as he stepped into the stairwell. "That's the issue."