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R ay had never heard Alessandro’s voice rise. Had never seen anything but that calm storm in his eyes. And now as she saw him roar into the phone with his eyes ablaze and his entire body shaking with lethal rage, she couldn’t help but thank the gods for sparing her.

“ FUCKING FIRE THEM. FIRE THEM ALL!”

She flinched back. They all did. Everyone except Kyle, who had been talking on the phone with someone. Ray saw him spare his father a wary glance before hanging up his call and turning his head to look back at the news that was still on. She sighed as she looked back at the screen, her expression going stark at the far away flames that raged back in Milan.

And all around the fucking world.

As if confirming her thoughts, Verana’s tight voice cut through the tense atmosphere, “There’s news about other places as well.”

Alessandro growled as he hung up, but it was Maya who spoke calmly despite the crazy atmosphere, “Where?” she asked softly, and an array of goosebumps erupted on Ray’s arm. There was a quiet storm hurling in Maya’s eyes as she gazed back at Verana. To her credit, Verana didn’t look the least daunted,

“Amsterdam, Prague, Munich.” She started, her voice strained, “And that’s only in Europe.”

Ray sucked in a surprised breath and was about to respond when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She grit her teeth as she turned away from the rest of them and picked up the call ,

“Speak.”

Ray’s eyes shut as she heard the female voice speak quickly, “There’s no chance of it getting on national television here. But the facilities Ray, they’re–”

“Thank you.” She replied, cutting her off, “Make sure it stays that way.”

Her phone clicked as she hung up, but Ray was already turning to look at the rest of them, “I’ve gotten our Asian facilities handled. There’s no chance of news spreading there.” She said and braced herself as Alessandro slammed his fist against the wall and thundered,

“I don’t care about the fucking news, Walker.” The way he spat out her name made her bristle softly as he tilted his head up with such hatred in his eyes, “Find out the people behind this.”

“Tell me how they know about each and every one of Kraft’s holdings.” A sharp exhale, “And how much it’s going to cost me.”

Ray made sure to keep all her emotions in check. Made sure to keep her expressions stale as Kyle stepped between their conversation, “This is the same situation the Ravens faced last year.” His tone was wary, almost exhausted as he turned to the voice of reason here. Maya stared back at her son, no thoughts showing in her eyes as she listened, “The group is the same. They’ve been targeting us for a while. Kraft had always been the one with a loose tongue, he must have let it slip.”

It was Ray who continued, “It’s going to cost us a lot.” She said grimly, but her shoulders were taut with conviction as she chose her next words carefully, “But we have a chance of getting out of this unscathed. ”

Alessandro’s eyes glimmered with an odd sort of rage. But she noticed the way his fists loosened at her words, the way his entire composure softened by a fraction.

Ray exhaled, and crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall as she ignored the buzzing in her hand,

“Our business is down, but it’s only down by a fraction. We still have Noah Hassan’s support, and with that, we’ll be able to rise out of this sooner than the Ravens had.”

“ If Noah hasn’t bailed already.” Verana murmured but Ray shook her head,

“He’ll be angry, sure. But Hassans don’t go back on their word. Plus, I had the contract sent to his hotel before all this happened. He’s probably discussing the deal with his lawyers this very second.” Her sharp eyes rose to Maya’s, “And I made sure they’d side with the Lions.”

Maya’s lips twitched as Kyle scoffed out a laugh from beside her.

“Christ,” Vera murmured but Ray didn’t stop,

“With Noah as Kraft’s replacement and the upcoming event day after tomorrow, we have a good chance of showing everyone this is nothing for us to handle.” Her eyes cut to Verana’s, “That is, if we get the news under control by today, and the fires are announced as coincidental mishaps orchestrated by Kraft himself.”

Verana’s brows shot up in the air, “You want to blame a dead man?”

She shrugged, “Last act of revenge against his dead sister-in-law?” Ray said but saw the flash in Maya’s eye. She continued nonetheless, her eyes dead set, her mind running at the speed of light ,

“Nathan Kraft, a man who lost all his credibility after the Ravens threw them out of business,” Ray started dramatically, “After getting to know that a woman, who was also the sister of one of the most powerful families in the entire world , was taking over, he lost his mind. Although his death can be ruled as coincidental, his last actions cannot be so. A last act of revenge.”

She breathed out, her shoulders relaxing, “Burning everything June could have control over.”

A moment of silence descended upon them.

Ray waited for them to bite, her heart pounding in her chest. She dared a glance in Maya’s direction. Saw the woman considering her words. But Ray knew, by the gleam in Alessandro’s eyes, the set of Kyle’s shoulders, she knew. Ray bit back a feral grin and plowed further,

“And it’ll all come beautifully together when we announce the alliance with the Ravens.” She said, her voice softening with practiced precision. She noticed how Maya’s lips etched into a small smirk as Ray continued, “We’ll get all the access to rebuild everything we’ve lost. And by doing so, we’ll rise to power once again. Everyone will know that burning us down doesn’t affect us after all.”

Come on. Just a little bit more.

Ray’s phone buzzed in her hand again, and this time she did look down at the screen. Smiled at the name that flashed. She angled her phone upwards to show them all, her eyes gleaming with an odd sense of mirth. Kyle’s shoulders straightened, just as Ray picked up the call and put it on speaker,

“Tell me–”

“ Why the fuck are all my facilities burning the fuck down? ”

Ray’s grin turned borderline insane, “ Your facilities?” she purred, silencing him immediately, “Does that mean you’re ready to work with us, Noah?”

Silence echoed through their call for a second. Another.

And then a rich velvet laugh boomed from the other end, “Oh wow,” he chuckled, “You got me good Raylene Walker.”

Ray’s eyes crinkled, “I’m only asking. Are you ready to make the deal Noah? If so, those burnt, ruined buildings are all yours to play with.”

“Are you asking me to start from ashes?” he laughed again, “And here I thought the Lions were good at handling their business.”

A growl from Kyle’s throat. She shot him a glare.

“I’m afraid you’re misunderstanding Noah,” she coaxed, turning away from all the people in the room, her voice going soft, “I’m handing you a mine filled with diamonds. You’ll be building a multimillion business with the Larsens and …”

She heard his sharp inhale.

Ray couldn’t help her light laugh at his surprise, “Come on Hassan. You didn’t get to where you are now by sitting in daddy’s lap. You know how business works. Kraft is dead, and he took his business’s credibility with him.”

“You–”

“And thank god he did. Imagine if we’d gotten tangled up with the same mess the Ravens had dealt with last year.” She said, “We’re in a crisis right now, but it’s an opportunistic one.”

Thud, thud .

Ray’s eyes shot to the door, her gaze narrowing as Kyle went to inspect who was standing outside. She saw his shoulders stiffen as he saw who it was and turned to face them all. His green eyes drilled through hers and Ray knew exactly who was standing outside.

The grin on her face widened and she waved to let him in.

“Yes, you’ll be starting from the roots but why isn’t that a good thing?” she was saying when she saw Kyle pull the door open. Angel De Santos strode in, his fingers straightening the collar of his shirt, the very image of elegance and power.

Ray noted the gleam of something like respect shine in Alessandro’s eyes as he crossed the room and clapped him on the back.

“You would not only have our support to step out of your father’s shadow,” she said, her eyes matching Angel’s as Luke walked in behind him. Angel merely gazed back at her, nothing except pure calmness in those amber eyes as she continued speaking, “But you’ll be part of a movement that would show everyone that the Lions can rise from anything.”

Angel’s eyes flashed then, a cheeky grin growing on his lips as Noah said dangerously from the other end,

“If I’m not a part of it?” he asked tentatively and Ray’s eyes snapped away, her smile dying at his question.

“Then you’ll get crushed.” She said in deadpan, “Just like everyone else.”

Noah’s laugh boomed again, and Ray couldn’t help rolling her eyes as she continued, “Get your hands on the gold before someone else does Hassan.” She said, “That’s all I can say.”

And hung up .

She sighed down at her phone, waiting for the message to arrive. They all waited for her to look up. For her to speak. But Ray only looked up when she felt the buzz in her hands again. Saw with a growing smile as a message from one of Noah’s lawyers poured in.

‘He’s in.’

And another from Noah Hassan himself.

‘This better make me fucking rich Raylene Walker. Or I’ll gut you.’

She laughed at his threat and looked up, her eyes shining and her veins pumping with adrenaline as she said, “It’s done.”

The relief that seeped through the atmosphere was crushing. But as soon as this wave passed, another crashed in.

“We’ve handled the places in Europe.” Angel’s voice was warm, coated with professional confidence as he laced his fingers and looked up at Maya, “You won’t be facing any problems until you decide to release a statement.”

The woman merely nodded in response, instead turning to gaze at Ray curiously, “You’re an odd thing, you know that?” she started softly, tilting her head as she did so. Ray hid her bristle at her words, “You’re always prepared. No matter what comes.”

Ray’s shoulders pushed back, her eyes going hard, “I’m loyal. I’d do anything.”

It might have been the right answer because Alessandro stepped in between them, his eyes on Angel’s as he did so. Ray’s gaze broke from Maya’s and turned to the other boy instead.

He looked nothing like the carefree boy this morning.

Not a hair out of place, not an emotion flickering on his face, Angel De Santos was pure, unyielding stone as he stared back at Alessandro .

The larger man pushed back his shoulders, rubbing his beard solemnly as he did so,

“You faced this last year.” He began and Ray stiffened. But Angel merely sniffed as he tipped his chin in agreement. Alessandro hummed, “What did you find?”

Angel’s response was immediate as if he’d been waiting for the question, “They’re slippery. Awfully so. They don’t leave any traces behind, making it all the more tough to find out who they are.”

“So, there are no leads.” Verana cut in, her tone razor sharp as her eyes settled on Luke’s. To his credit, Luke just cast her a wary glance before turning back to Angel,

“We might not know who they are. But we do understand the way they work.” Luke said, and Alessandro hummed deeply again, turning to face his wife. Maya wasn’t looking at him, had instead turned away to look out the window at the afternoon sun.

So early, Ray couldn’t help but think as her eyes followed Maya’s, it was so early for all this to begin.

“The fires in Milan were just a statement,” Maya said softly and Kyle grunted his agreement, choosing to continue in her heed,

“Other facilities around the world haven’t burnt down. But they’ve lost manpower. We’ve lost all our labor, all our capital.” He said grimly, and Ray nodded, “Those places have been stranded and all our business has shut down.”

A sudden thought hit her then, making her blink at how she hadn’t realized this before. Verana caught her expression, her eyebrows shooting up in question .

“They don’t have enough resources,” Ray answered and saw Angel’s eyes turn to hers. She scoffed as a smile grew on his face,

“Meaning they’re a small group. They hire children,” she spat out the word,

“They’re a small group with digital power.”

That smile widened. So the asshole knew.

“Think about it,” she said just as someone she hadn’t met yet wandered into the room,

“Fires were set only in Milan. But the other facilities have suddenly been stranded out of nowhere. How did news spread so quickly? How did they work so fast? No one knew we were looking at June taking over Nathan’s business. It was only announced on the second day here, and they attacked immediately.”

Almost hastily, Ray didn’t have to add. She saw it in the way Maya’s eyes glinted white.

“The next day they ambushed us, that too like amateurs.” Ray continued, “They keep viciously attacking without any game plan. Without any physical means. All they have are the pieces they scramble to get at the last possible minute. The kids, June’s death, and now this sudden isolation.”

Her voice rose as the thoughts ran wild, “They don’t know what they’re doing. All they want is to put us down. Have been trying to do so ever since this week began. This could only mean two things,” she put two fingers in the air,

“One, they’re here. On this island – hiding as one of us.”

She didn’t dare look at Angel. Both of them were thinking the same thing, Sorin Ardelean?

“And two, ”

“They’re digitally equipped.” a smooth female voice cut through. Ray blinked at the interruption and turned to see red hair and the brightest brown eyes she’d ever seen. The girl smiled back, a phone in her hand as she dipped her chin as a hello. Ray nodded back, seeing her piercing glint under the sunlight as the girl turned on her heels to face Maya,

“This world has enhanced quite a lot,” she started, and Ray’s eyes strayed to Kyle’s who was looking back at her with the same surprise in his eyes,

“And if they have access to people who could bring down entire servers, there’s a lot to be afraid of here.”

And it clicked.

“Mia Andrews,” Ray said in response and saw as Mia turned back to look at her. Maya hadn’t yet acknowledged Mia’s presence, but Alessandro had taken a keen interest in her words, “You know a great deal about this.”

She inclined her head again, and a lock of her red curls fell to one side as she smiled back at Ray, “I do. And I will do everything in my power to help the Lions get out of this. After all,” her eyes cut to Angel’s, who sighed back at her, “We faced the same fate last year.”

“Raylene.” Maya’s voice snapped in the air, and she turned to her immediately, forgetting Mia’s cheeky grin, “You will focus on getting the deal done with Noah. Get him here, and make him start making changes already. Let him get his people. Use our people. But get the losses solved before tomorrow.”

Those age-old still eyes turned to face her finally, “You do that today, and you’re free tomorrow. ”

Ray nodded briskly as Alessandro continued, “Angel you will assist Ray in making sure Noah comes on board,” he said, and Angel’s eyes turned hard, “You have a maintained relationship with the Hassans. Use it.”

He didn’t wait for Angel to respond, “Do I have you at my disposal?” he said instead, his question aimed at Luke and Mia who were standing in the doorway. Luke’s shoulders straightened just as Mia looked down at her nails and responded,

“You have us as personal favors.”

Ray bit back a grin at her words, loving the challenge in the air.

Alessandro didn’t show an ounce of anger. He was already back to his cool self and was looking at Mia as though she was a child. He clicked his tongue,

“I don’t forget those who aid us, Mia Andrews.” His voice cut like steel, “So I will ask you again. Do I have you at my disposal?”

Mia’s lips twitched into a small smirk, “Yes you do, Mr. Larsen.”

“Mia and Verana, work together to get this mess under control. Give Ray whatever she needs for today and get it fucking over with.” Maya turned to face all of them, the perfect picture of a cutthroat leader, “Luke and Kyle, you’ll make sure the event goes as planned. Kyle,” her words sharpened, but her son turned, golden and devastating, “Make sure no one questions us. No one.”

Sudden chills ran down Ray's spine as Kyle nodded briskly and snapped his eyes in Luke’s direction.

“One last thing,” Maya said as Ray went to move towards Angel. They all stilled at the calmness of her voice. Too calm, she thought as Maya rolled her shoulders and looked at Angel, “I hope you understand what this situation asks of you. ”

The tick in Angel’s jaw appeared, the temperature of the room dropping as the two leaders faced each other.

It was a wonder, Ray scoffed in her mind as Kyle snapped away from both of them with an irritated hand ruffling through his hair, how Kyle never wanted to step into the leader’s role. But never went against his parents’ words either.

It was perfect for her, so she wasn’t really complaining.

“And I hope you understand what’s in store for you if you don’t .”

Ray bit back her wince and hopped back on her heels in impatience as she saw Angel’s gaze harden into ice shards. But the boy just tipped his chin upwards,

“I think the same thing applies to you, Mrs. Larsen.”

And walked out without a backward glance.

* *

Such assholes. All of them. Such fucking assholes.

“Hey, can we stop by the hospital first?”

Angel stopped in his tracks, blinking in surprise as Ray brushed past him and opened the door to her room. He saw her poke her head in and waited as she called out for Ira to get out of her room. Her cardigan fell off her shoulder as she leaned forward, revealing the strap of her black top. His mind blanked at its sight. She huffed once and stepped back into the hallway.

He must not have answered her question, because Ray turned on her heels to face him then, tugging the white cardigan over her shoulder as she raised her brows in question.

“What?” Angel stumbled dumbly and saw her brows furrow in confusion,

“I asked if we could stop by the hospital first? ”

That cleared up the haze in his mind. Angel stepped towards her quickly, his eyes going wide as he grabbed a hold of her wrist lightly, “Why, are you okay? Are you feeling worse?”

Ray’s brows had shot up in the air as he hauled her closer and peered at her face. Maybe his mind had gone dumb with all the chaos from this morning because his sanity only caught up with him when Ray huffed out a surprised laugh,

“I just need to figure out how I can heal the injury on my shoulder,” she chuckled, “Why Angel? Worried?”

Angel blinked again. This fucking girl.

“ With you,” he snapped back, leaving her wrist as he did so. Still, that infuriating grin on her lips remained. Angel growled under his breath and turned away, running a hand through his hair, “Always.”

Ray hummed, “We don’t have a lot to do today. Everything with Noah’s already been sorted. I just need to get the contract from him and give him work to do.”

Angel scoffed, “Good luck getting him to start working.” Ray looked back at him curiously and Angel couldn’t help his smirk, “Why do you think I haven’t opted to work with him yet?”

“Cause he’s lazy?” she probed and Angel shook his head, huffing out a laugh,

“Cause he doesn’t like being ordered around.”

“Too fucking late for that,” she murmured.

Angel laughed wholly at that, only sobering up when Ira peeped out of Ray’s room. She was wearing the same clothes she’d been wearing this morning but had topped it off with the jacket he’d handed her last night.

Last night, he thought, his mind flashing back to Ray again .

“So, you’re going to keep that then?” Angel asked, shaking himself out of his daze and focusing on the shorter girl. Ira huffed as she stepped out, rubbing her red nose as she sidled carefully next to Ray,

“Si. It’s cold.” She replied softly and sneezed.

“God bless you,” Angel heard Ray murmur, just as his eyes caught the blue on Ira’s wrist. His eyes widened, snapping in Ray’s direction,

“You gave that to her?” he asked, and Ray’s eyes darted down to the bracelet around Ira’s wrist. Everyone knew Raylene Walker staked her protection with that blue bracelet. It was the first thing they’d all learned when she’d appeared from nowhere.

Ira immediately put her hand in her pocket, her eyes flaring with a fire Angel hadn’t seen before. He had to stop his urge to raise his hands in the air and take a step back.

“I did.” Ray’s voice was quieter than the fire in Ira’s stance, “She’s going to be under my protection from now.”

Angel’s shoulders softened. Raylene Walker might be the girl that kept getting on his fucking nerves, but she was human. A girl who was caring for someone she hadn’t even met before. Someone, who had possibly tried to kill her during the ambush.

But now Angel scoffed to break through that solemn atmosphere, turning to Ira with mirth in his eyes, “Good luck. I doubt she can barely cook, lest take care of a fourteen-year-old.”

Ira frowned.

“What the fuck.” Ray snapped and a grin broke free on Angel’s lips.

“ Can you cook?”

“ Yes ,” she scoffed, the ice already thawing in her tone, “Of course I can fucking cook. ”

Angel hummed in the way he knew would piss her off even more. She scoffed loudly, so offended that she took angry steps in his direction with her fists raised,

“You’re probably the type to look at recipes–” he started and broke off in a loud laugh as she growled and ran in his direction. He ran backward, dodging her fists as he threw his head back when she murmured,

“Come here you little shit,”

And for the first time, as they stumbled out of the suffocating house, the sane part of his mind kept its mouth shut.

He just didn’t know if he should be grateful or terrified.