Kalen had sounded casual when he called Ayla earlier.
"Just dinner, Ayla. I miss my big sister," he'd said.
There was no hint, no warning. Just a warm invitation she couldn't refuse.
When she stepped into the Viper's house dining room, she froze.
Leon was there — sitting across the long table, shoulders tense, eyes locking on hers the second she appeared.
Her heartbeat quickened, not from longing… but from anger.
She slowly turned to Kalen.
"You didn't," she whispered.
Kalen shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "You two need to talk. And since you won't do it on your own… you're welcome."
She clenched her fists and sat down stiffly. The clink of cutlery, the faint hum of the air conditioner — every sound felt amplified in the silence. Finally, she broke it.
"Ohh," she said, her tone sharp with disbelief, "so you want me back now? You love me? But you kissed someone else, Leon." Her voice cracked just enough to betray the hurt beneath her fury. "It's over. Try getting over me."
Leon leaned forward, desperation already bleeding into his eyes.
"I'd do anything in my power to win you back, Ayla. Anything. I love you so much."
"Hmph." She sighed, crossing her arms, her gaze hard. "We can be friends, Leon. But lovers?" She shook her head. "We're past that. And what made you think Maureen will let you go so easily? You chose to stay with her hours after we parted… then kissed her in front of everyone. And now you're here claiming you love me?"
Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, his face shadowed with frustration and regret.
"I swear, I didn't know Maureen would kiss me. And as for staying with her…" His voice softened, almost pleading. "I was only paying her back for saving my life. No strings attached. I promise."
Ayla's eyes narrowed. "Saving your life?"
He nodded, leaning forward, his tone low and intense. "After you chose Damien, in anger I alone infiltrated the enemy's den. Maureen followed me without me knowing — and she took a bullet for me. Since then, she's asked me to stay by her side. Even when I told her my heart was with you."
Her lips parted slightly, the fire in her expression flickering into something softer — confusion, maybe even guilt. "Maureen loves you, Leon… why don't you stay with her?" She spoke the words, but they felt like thorns in her throat.
He stared at her, unflinching. "Because I don't want her. I want you."
Ayla looked away, forcing herself to speak with a calm she didn't feel. "She loves you… but I'm not letting you in just like that." Her eyes returned to his, a challenge burning there. "You want me? Prove it. Fight for me."
Kalen, who had been watching like he was at a front-row drama show, leaned back in his chair and muttered, "Well… at least this is more interesting than dinner."
The tension between them hung heavy in the air — sharp, unspoken, electric.
Ayla left the Viper's house with her chest tight and her steps quick. She didn't dare look back.
She told herself she wouldn't cry — not for him, not anymore.
But the next evening, the world refused to let her forget Leon.
She had been at the city plaza with Kalen, buying a few things, when she heard it — her name.
Not whispered. Not muttered.
Shouted.
"AYLA!"
Her head whipped toward the sound. And there he was.
Leon stood on the fountain steps, his voice carrying over the crowd. Dozens of strangers stopped, their chatter silenced by the sight of him — broad-shouldered, defiant, his eyes locked on her.
"I'm not here to talk to anyone else!" he called out, his voice ringing. "Just you, Ayla. And I'm saying it where everyone can hear — I'm not letting you go."
She froze. Heat rose to her cheeks as murmurs swept through the crowd.
"Isn't that Leon Moretti?"
"What's going on?"
"Are they…?"
Leon stepped down from the fountain, striding toward her like a man who feared nothing — not humiliation, not rejection.
"You told me to fight for you," he said when he reached her. "So here I am. No more hiding. No more excuses. I'll stand in the middle of the street every day if that's what it takes."
Ayla's pulse thundered in her ears. "Leon—" she started, but he cut her off.
"I love you," he said, voice steady despite the dozens of eyes on them. "And I'm going to prove it. You can slam the door in my face, you can curse me out — but I'm not walking away again. Not for Maureen, not for Damien, not for anyone."
The plaza had gone silent, the crowd caught between awe and disbelief.
Kalen, beside her, grinned like this was better than any movie. "Wow," he murmured, "you really know how to pick 'em, sis."
Ayla's heart warred with her pride. She wanted to storm off. She wanted to throw herself into his arms. She did neither. Instead, she turned sharply, leaving him standing there… but this time, her steps weren't quite as certain.
Behind her, Leon's voice rang out once more:
"This is only the beginning, Ayla!"