The clock had already crept past five in the morning. Dawn was threatening to break over the horizon within the hour.

Exhaustion finally crept into Alfy’s bones, now that her worry had subsided. She stifled a delicate yawn behind her hand. “Okay. You should get some sleep too. Good night, or rather, good morning.” Katelyn watched Alfy’s retreating form with fondness dancing in her eyes.

As Alfy’s footsteps faded upstairs, Jaxen approached Katelyn, his usual playful demeanor replaced by something more somber. “Is everything really all right?” he probed, searching her face.

A chill ran down Katelyn’s spine as she surveyed the room. The knowledge that the T Organization had managed to plant both a miniature bug and a timed bomb in Sophia’s body made every shadow seem suspicious. What other horrors were they capable of?

Katelyn met Jaxen’s questioning gaze. “Everything is all right. You should rest too.”

The weight of unspoken words hung heavy in her throat, but they would have to wait until safety was certain.

Something about Katelyn’s behavior tonight struck Jaxen as odd, but he couldn’t quite place it. Sensing her reluctance to speak further, he changed the topic and stepped closer. “Do you know why Alfy is angry with me today?”

The intensity of Alfy’s anger had caught him off guard—she’d never been this furious before, and wouldn’t even let him near her.

Katelyn’s expression hardened as she recalled the earlier news. One eyebrow arched sharply as she fixed him with a pointed look. “Why did you take a girl to a hotel today?”

Jaxen froze, color draining from his face. His voice shot up an octave as he exclaimed, “What?”

Jaxen leaped to his feet as if struck by lightning, his whole body radiating disbelief. “How could I ever do that? Where did you hear such ridiculous gossip? It’s complete nonsense!”

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Suddenly, Alfy’s bizarre behavior made perfect sense. She had been recoiling from him all day as if he carried some contagious disease. Could she really believe he’d been out with another girl?

Katelyn glanced thoughtfully in the direction of Alfy’s departure, her eyebrows lifting knowingly. “Well, that’s what Alfy told me. Whether you did that or not, you know best.”

Jaxen stood there dumbfounded, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Go rest,” he sighed. “I’ll explain things to Alfy.” Watching his reaction, Katelyn sensed there must be more to the story than met the eye. She decided to step back from the situation. After all, Jaxen was perfectly capable of cleaning up his own mess.

“Alright, I’m going back to my room,” Katelyn announced. Despite her earlier rest, weariness still clung to her bones. She turned and climbed the stairs, her footsteps echoing in the quiet house.

Just as she finished her shower, the sudden sound of her door being pushed open made her pause. Katelyn instinctively turned toward the noise. She saw Vincent walking in from outside.

When their eyes met, the usual ice in his gaze melted slightly. “You go to sleep first. I’m going to take a shower.”

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