Alicia woke on the living room floor of Jason's penthouse, the glow of the rising sun warming the space. She was nestled safely in Jason's embrace, the finality of Day Seven having solidified their intense commitment.
Jason was already awake, looking down at her with a mix of tenderness and possessiveness. "Good morning, soldier," he whispered, kissing her gently.
"Good morning, CEO," she replied, a genuine smile on her lips.
"No more games, Alicia. We have tonight to plan for forever," Jason stated, pulling her closer.
Alicia pushed herself up, the professional urgency snapping back into place. "We don't have tonight, Jason," she stated, dressing quickly. "I leave today. For an extended contract review. It's mandatory and non-negotiable."
"Barracks?" Jason asked, intense frustration etching his features.
"What kind of contract requires a month-long disappearance?"
"A classified one. It's why I need secrecy," Alicia admitted, facing him.
"I couldn't tell you before Day Seven. I leave this afternoon."
Jason stood before her, his hands resting heavily on her shoulders. "You tested the truth of this relationship against a hard deadline. I'm furious, but I'm committed. You call me every day, Alicia. And you tell me the truth about the car crash lie when you return. Understood, soldier?"
"Understood, CEO," she whispered, giving him a final, fierce hug that spoke of a month's worth of passion and promise.
*****
The urgency of the morning was amplified when they arrived back at Alicia's complex. Chris and Jake were already there, waiting.
Chris, Jason's pragmatic business partner, pulled Lucy—the team's logistics expert—into a tight embrace. "You call in every day, you hear me? One minute of satellite time is all I need to know you're safe," Chris commanded. He trusted Lucy's operational secrecy, knowing her work was often classified, but the separation was always difficult.
Jake, the easygoing owner of the private park, held Kristen—the team's emotional anchor—close. "Promise me you won't do anything that requires emergency rescue," Jake joked, his eyes serious. Kristen simply returned the kiss with a fiery promise of devotion.
"Take care of Jake. And don't let Jason become too much of a brooding CEO without his soldier," she instructed.
Finally, Jason held Alicia for a final, long moment. "Don't get into any trouble, soldier," he murmured against her lips.
"I trust you. But if I don't hear from you on the exact scheduled time, I will launch a retrieval operation."
Alicia broke the embrace, her gaze sweeping over her friends and her committed man one last time. "I couldn't forget you if I tried, CEO."
She turned, collected her bags, and without a backward glance—joined by Lucy and Kristen, whose synchronized movements betrayed their shared history—she walked toward the waiting, unmarked transport. The three women moved with the focused efficiency of operators, leaving the men behind to face the sudden void.
.
.
.
The silence left behind was profound. Chris and Jake clapped Jason on the shoulder. They watched the vehicle disappear, the three men now linked by powerful, secretive women who had just abandoned them for duty.
"Well," Chris said, breaking the silence with professional efficiency. "Back to work. The Apex contracts don't manage themselves."
The men returned to the heart of Aethel City and the headquarters of Jason's firm. Jason threw himself into his work, using the demands of his Elite Private Security CEO role to manage the gnawing void left by Alicia's absence.
During a late-night session at the office, Chris found Jason staring blankly, deep in thought.
"Thinking about the soldier who just breached your perimeter?" Chris asked gently.
Jason sighed. "Both. I'm trying to figure out why I'm so relaxed about committing to a woman who carries a gun. It's because of you two."
Jason leaned back, using the quiet moment to reflect on the men who were his anchors.
"Chris, you and Lucy are the perfect balance of logic and operational risk," Jason observed, reminiscing about the early days of their partnership. Chris was the pragmatic business mind who handled the quantifiable security variables .
Lucy, the logistics and intelligence expert, provided the strategic operational depth and handled the unknowns.
"You trust her because you're both analysts."
Chris acknowledged the truth in Jason's words. He accepted Lucy's secrets because he trusted her infallible judgment.
"And Jake," Jason continued, turning to the charismatic friend.
"You're the one who taught me to stop living in the next quarter's projections. You and Kristen are a complete mess of passion and chaos, but it works. You trust her because she's unfiltered and honest with her emotions, even if her life is full of secrets."
Jake, who had provided the private park for Day Four and whose family was built on quiet wealth, nodded. "Kristen and I have no secrets about how we feel. The rest is just job description. Alicia and you are the ultimate test of faith, man. She showed you her capability before she showed you her heart. That's a unique foundation."
"A foundation built on secrets," Jason muttered.
"All foundations have secrets," Chris interjected, closing his laptop.
"But hers are based on protecting something real, not running from something painful. She trusts you with the military past; that's huge. That's her core identity."
"Unless you want to investigate it yourself." Jake suggested.
"No, I want her to open up to me." Jason told them.
Jason realized his friends were right. He had been given the ultimate confirmation: the woman he loved was capable, dedicated, and worthy of his trust. He didn't need to know the mission; he just needed to know she was coming home.
"Right," Jason said, standing up, the CEO posture fully returned.
"First order of business: planning a welcome home party for four that will blow this city apart. That should take up a month."