"Lara!" Nick called. "Need your help here."
She excused herself from Zain and walked over. Zain caught the look Nick threw his way—sharp, deliberate.
Nick slid his hand over Lara's shoulder, slow and intentional. A quiet claim.
She's mine.
Zain noticed. He didn't react. Only because Lara didn't shrug it off.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the party, the guests slowly filtered out. Adam's family stayed back—Ben wouldn't hear of them leaving for the night. Nick wanted to stay too, but business dragged him away.
"Lara, why don't you show Zain to his room?" Sam said.
"Sure, Mom," Lara replied, shooting Zain a look that clearly said, move.
They walked the long corridor upstairs.
"So," Lara said without looking at him, "why isn't your wife here?"
Zain raised a brow. "Since when did I get one?"
"You said those abs were for your wife," she shot back, opening the door to his room.
"Oh," Zain said, leaning against the doorframe with a slow grin. "Future wife."
He looked her over, amused. "Sorry, little rabbit. No previews. I'm very reserved."
Lara scoffed. "Please. You act like you're the only man with abs."
She turned and walked into the room opposite his.
"Good night, Lara," Zain called after her. "Try not to dream about my abs too much."
She shut the door—hard—but not before he caught the corner of her mouth twitch.
Both of them stood in their rooms a second longer than needed, smiling like idiots.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lara's room
Her phone buzzed.
"We've got the case in control—the City B gang operation," her colleague said. "But the main guy escaped."
"How did it get under control?" Lara asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Someone tipped the police off. Gave us solid intel. But some crucial business data is missing—or at least that's what the team believes. Our priority now is the underworld don. We need him before he leaves the country."
Lara's jaw tightened.
"Understood," she said. "We start first thing tomorrow."
She ended the call, staring at the dark window.
Something didn't sit right.