Page 28 of BounBound By Scars

“Do the same. They were your family, Kay. And now we are. Grieve however you need. Just don’t do it alone.”

Kaylan hesitated. Then, out of nowhere, she asked, “Leo… can I skip the bridesmaid dress?”

Leora tilted her head, surprised by the shift. “Of course. You can wear whatever you want. You just being there is what matters.”

Kaylan’s shoulders sagged in relief, like she’d been holding her breath for weeks.

I didn’t really get it, but I knew Leora wasn’t about to make any of us uncomfortable for the sake of a dress.

Then it hit me.

“Shit! I still haven’t written the damn maid of honor speech!”

That pulled a chorus of laughter from all three of us, and for a moment, the gym was filled with the sound of something rare and precious.

EIGHT

Amelia

“Seb?”

His head snapped up, eyes tired but instantly focused. He had been in his office for hours, drowning in reports, calls, and whatever mental battle he was having with himself.

I didn’t know if Kabir and Zane had decoded the message yet, and I was sure Seb would tell the team if it was urgent.

But I needed to know.

I couldn’t just go up to Kabir and ask him. We weren’t really talking, were we? Zane was nowhere to be found.

Sebastian was my only option.

“Yes, sweetheart?” He smiled, but exhaustion was written all over his face.

“You okay?”

He nodded, but it wasn’t convincing. “Yeah, just… haven’t been sleeping well.”

I knew why.

He couldn’t sleep without alcohol. But he needed rest. If he wanted to run this damn company properly—without fainting, preferably.

“You need sleep, Seb.” I told him sternly.

He ran a hand over his face. His rich brown skin looked gray somehow, like the exhaustion had settled beneath it.

“I know. Just… the message isn’t getting us anywhere.”

I frowned.

Right. The message.

“What does it say?”

Sebastian swiveled his monitor toward me, and I took a seat opposite him, his desk between us.

Red morning, the fox escaped but the hound found us first. Opportunists came. Mercenaries on orders. Lasting injuries but quick death. In the end, No salvation. Silent Operators Neutralized.

I parted my lips in shock. “This tells us nothing. Of course, someone hired mercs to kill them.”

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