Kasra froze, realizing he’d never spoken so sternly to Sana before. He had always been gentle with her, but now, a sharp edge cut through his words, startling even himself. To give her time to reflect, he shifted the conversation.

  “Detective, are there any updates on the case?"

  “Yes, Mr. Shahi,” Katherine responded briskly. “Since I’m the most involved in the investigation, my superior thought I’d be a suitable candidate as the lead. However, I’ve only recently made detective, so he’s concerned about my lack of experience.”

  She hesitated before continuing, “He also mentioned that FCPD is more than willing to collaborate with TITAN Group. To start things off, he thought it best to let you decide on the lead.”

  Kasra considered her proposal, weighing her determination against her lack of experience before making the decision. After a beat of silence, he finally said, “Detective, I’ll let him know we want you to be the lead. And let’s drop the formalities—just call me Kasra.”

  Katherine’s eyes sparkled with gratitude, the opportunity to lead her first case settling over her like a cloak, both heavy and exhilarating. “Thank you, Kasra. It’s an honor to work alongside you and your team. And please call me Kate.”

  Just as she finished speaking, a thought crossed Kasra’s mind. “Kate, I’d like my fourth brother involved as well. He’s an attorney, and his insights could be invaluable.”

  Katherine beamed, her manner professional. “How about we set up a group chat so everyone’s up to speed? I’ll make us both admins so we can add relevant people to the group.”

  “Yes, good call,” Kasra hummed in agreement.

  Then, Katherine pulled a photo from her folder and slid it across the overbed table toward Lara. “Ms. Wolfe, based on the sketch provided by TITAN Group, we ran a facial recognition search. We think we’ve found a match. Could you confirm if this is the man you met at the silo?”

  Lara glanced at the image, and her breath caught, muscles stiffening as tension shot through her frame. “Yes, Detective, it’s him!”

  “Thank you for the confirmation, Ms. Wolfe,” Katherine murmured. “Please call me Kate.”

  Lara nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Alright, Kate. And please call me Lara.”

  With Lara’s verification, Katherine informed, “Kasra, the man’s name is Talon Cloche. He’s a French national in his early 50s. He moved here about six months ago on an EB-5 visa. We’re still trying to establish his motive for kidnapping Sana.”

  Mulling over Katherine’s remarks, Sana speculated, “Since he’s after something in my laptop, it should be related to my work.”

  “Go on,” Katherine encouraged.

  “Since January, we have been awarded every contract that I’ve worked on. These projects total over $18 billion. What puzzles me is that all my projects are in the defense and government sectors. So, what could he be after?”

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  Her remarks gave Katherine pause, her mind sifting through possibilities. “Perhaps you need to think about which among the projects would a businessman stand to gain the most. Since his first attempt failed, we’d need to draw him out again.”

  Seven, who had been quiet until now, chimed in. “Kasra, since Lara interacted with Cloche, what do you think of using her to lure him out again?”

  Katherine nodded in agreement. “Yes, we could create opportunities for Lara to step in as Sana. I can go undercover as Lara so that I can protect her. What do you think?”

  Kasra’s gaze snapped to Lara. “Looks like we’re all on the same page. Lara, are you in?”

  Lara’s hazel-green irises twinkled with excitement. “Yes, Chief!”

  Just then, a soft rumble echoed in the room. The conversation halted, eyes darting to the source. It had come from Sana, who blurted out in embarrassment, “Don’t look at me like that! I only had soup for breakfast!”

  Her awkward defense brought chuckles to the room, breaking the tension. But Seven’s glacial voice sliced through the humorous moment. “That’s all you had the entire day?”

  Sana mumbled sheepishly, “W–We got caught up with work and forgot about lunch.”

  Kasra, keenly sensing Seven’s displeasure, chastised, “No wonder you’re all skin and bones, and barely scraping 5’3”! People who don’t know your background must think you’re from an impoverished family!”

  Seven’s demeanor remained icy as he said, “Kasra, please order some bone broth for Sana. She can also have steamed plain buns if she wants. If she’s up for dessert, she can have pudding, banana, or Jell-O.”

  “Got it. What about you?”

  “Whatever’s convenient,” Seven replied. Then, he rummaged through his duffle bag for a clean set of scrubs before heading for the bathroom.

  Meanwhile, Kasra noted Lara and Katherine’s dinner preferences before instructing one of the bodyguards to buy dinner.

  ……

  Being chided twice in a matter of minutes, Sana bowed her head, her shoulders curling inward, a storm of emotions brewing beneath her ribs. Her body trembled as she tried to maintain her composure. Humiliation, frustration, something sharper—a foreign sting tightening her throat. Having been indulged and sheltered by her doting family, she had never been subjected to such castigation.

  When Kasra returned, he noticed Sana’s downcast posture. His stomach twisted. Realizing how his barbed remarks had affected his usually well-behaved sister, his gaze softened as he approached her. “Princess,” he said gently, patting her head, “that’s two strikes today. Do you want Seven’s efforts to go to waste?”

  His comment struck her deeply, igniting a swell of guilt. That’s right! I’ve let Seven down.

  At that moment, Seven emerged from the bathroom, steam curling around him, his damp hair in disarray. He had a three-day-old stubble before showering, but now, clean-shaven and refreshed, he looked more striking than any Hollywood heartthrob.

  He immediately sensed the shift in the atmosphere. Something was wrong. Instinctively, his gaze flitted to Sana, her small frame trembling ever so slightly.

  Is she crying? Is she in pain? She doesn’t look right!

  “Sana, are you okay?” he asked, concern etched in his tone.

  His query was met with silence. Instead, Kasra manned up. “She’s upset about the talking-to I gave her just now.”

  A flicker of remorse crossed Seven’s features as he recalled their harsh jabs. He bent down beside her, lifting her chin gently. “You need to take your health and recovery seriously. You don’t want long-term issues from the blood loss and injuries, do you?”

  Sana remained quiet, her head still tilted down.

  “Sana, what can I do to make you feel better? Hmm?” Seven asked softly, his voice lined with tenderness.

  Listening to his soothing words, Sana suddenly felt a weight lift from her chest. Hmm, seems like he’s not pissed at me anymore.

  She exhaled, her cheeks slightly flushed. “I’m sorry, Seven. I’ll set the alarm to make sure I eat on time from now on.”

  The three onlookers watched in awe as the scene unfolded. It became apparent that Seven possessed an invisible, magical influence over her. With just a simple question, he managed to turn Sana’s frown into a soft smile.

  Katherine? Katherine was especially stunned, realizing that her brother’s superpower was the ability to coax girls!