With a new focus, Leo pushed off the wall and headed quickly toward his office.

Not because he was trying to be secretive. Not for some mission. But because he didn’t want anyone else to hear what he was about to say.

Leo stepped into his office, quietly shut the door behind him, and leaned against it for a moment. He glanced at his smartwatch, which lit up with a soft glow.

Not a secure line. Not a hidden system.

Just... Zayden’s name stared back at him.

He hovered his finger over the call button, hesitating for the first time that night.

Because once he filled Zayden in on what he’d found out... Everything would shift, or maybe it already had, who could really tell? After a brief pause, he finally tapped the screen.

The call rang once. Twice.

When Zayden picked up, his voice was thick with sleep and a bit confused.

"Leo? It’s four in the morning," he said, trying not to wake the girl nearby.

Leo swallowed hard. "Zayden... we need to talk," he said quietly.

Zayden’s tone sharpened right away. "What’s going on? Is it about her?"

Leo shut his eyes for a moment. "Yeah."

The silence between them felt heavy and long.

Finally, he said, "You were right," Leo murmured. "She’s not just hiding from someone. She’s running from... something way bigger than I thought."

Zayden gasped softly. "What do you mean?"

Leo looked down at the floor, his voice steady. "There’s no record of her at all. None. Not even in deleted files."

He let that sink in. "That usually means two things:"

He raised two fingers. "Either she’s mixed up in something huge..." He paused for effect. "Or she’s part of something dangerous."

Zayden didn’t say a word.

Leo kept going, quieter now: "And right now... I can’t figure out which one it is."

Another heavy silence followed. Then Zayden whispered, "Leo... does she have a clue?"

Leo stared at the dark screens on his desk. "I really don’t think she knows the full extent of what’s going on."

Leo sat in his office chair, letting the silence hang as he listened to Zayden’s breathing on the other end of the call. The cool forest air flowed softly through the speaker, blending with Zayden’s slow exhalations.

"So, did you bring up last night with her?" Leo finally asked, keeping his voice low.

Zayden rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Nope, didn’t do it."

Leo’s tone lightened a bit. "Well, that’s probably for the best."

Zayden frowned. "Why do you say that?"

Leo paused, choosing his words carefully. "Because if she’s running from something serious," he said slowly, "even a simple question could make her rethink everything and take off again, just like I mentioned before."

Zayden’s jaw tightened in worry. "She’s scared, man. I could see it in her eyes. She’s hiding something; she’s not being honest."

"And she won’t be," Leo said gently, "not until she feels safe... or desperate enough to spill her secrets."

Another pause settled in.

"Zayden," Leo continued quietly, "until I know what’s going on with her, just be careful."

"Careful?" Zayden repeated, looking confused.

"Yeah. She’s in a delicate spot right now. People who run away like that..." Leo hesitated before finishing, "...they can just vanish if they think they might put the person protecting them at risk. Or maybe someone set her up to be near you; it’s totally possible."

Zayden didn’t respond, swallowing hard as he processed the concern.

Leo sighed. "Look... she might not be a threat at all. She could actually be the one in trouble. And people who are in trouble do unpredictable things."

Zayden leaned back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "I really don’t want her to take off again," he said quietly, feeling vulnerable.

Leo softened. "I get that."

"But..." Zayden added, his voice dropping, "You think she actually will?"

Leo didn’t hold back. "If she feels like she’s putting you in danger? Yeah, she probably will."

The tough reality felt heavy in the air.

Leo kept his tone steady but relaxed. "Whatever you do, just don’t go after her. Not yet. Give her some room. Show her you trust her."

Zayden nodded slowly, even though Leo couldn’t see him. "Got it."

The call hung in silence for a moment.

"Zayden?"

"Yeah?"

"If she disappears... it won’t be because she doesn’t trust you." Leo breathed out softly. "It’ll be because she trusts you too much."

Zayden squeezed his eyes shut. That hit harder than any threat out there.

"Thanks, Leo," he said quietly.

Leo nodded. "Just call me if anything changes."

Zayden ended the call and set the burner phone down, rubbing his tired eyes. The room felt even colder now, an icy draft that crept under his skin.

He sat up slowly, stretched a bit, and then stood up to check on Zeynep. His steps felt heavy, sleep still pulling at him.

But as soon as he reached the doorway, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Totally still. The bed was empty.

The blanket lay crumpled on the floor, like she had rushed to get up.

Her shoes were gone. The jacket he had given her was also missing.

His chest tightened right away.

"Zeynep...?" he called out softly.

Nothing but silence. He moved closer, scanning the room for any signs.

The pillow had a faint indentation, shallow enough to tell that she hadn’t slept long.

The window was shut tight, no signs of tampering there.

The door... He reached for the lock and found it unlocked. She had left on her own.

His heart started to race, way too fast.

"Zeynep?" he called out again, more urgently this time.

He checked the bathroom, thinking she might be in there, but nope, it was empty.

The small living room was the same. Empty. The kitchen? Nothing there either.

His breath hitched, coming out sharp and uneven as worry crept in.

He rushed to the exit, yanking the door open. The cold air hit him like a slap, but he barely noticed it.

"ZEYNEP!"