In the lounge, when Zayden and Aylin walked back in, the vibe felt way lighter.
Liam and Ayla were sprawled on one of the comfy sofas, their heads close together as they whispered. The earlier tension between them seemed to have blown over, replaced by shy smiles and soft laughs.
Reyes had already bailed, leaving his shift to the night crew.
Leo was on the other sofa, fiddling with a tablet, his brow furrowed as if he were deep into something tricky.
Zayden's phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and his expression shifted, getting serious.
It was Selina.
He made his way over to the sofa where Leo was sitting, Aylin tagging along behind him. They plopped down, with Zayden in the middle and Aylin cozying up to his side.
Aylin caught on immediately. "Selina?"
Zayden nodded and turned to Liam and Ayla. "You two should catch some shut-eye. It's been a long day."
