Ash-white hair brushed past her shoulders while dark sunglasses hid her eyes. Her fitted suit jacket framed a low-cut cropped vest beneath it, exposing tattoos that crawled from her throat downward beneath the fabric.
Everything about her screamed control. Even the way she adjusted her cufflinks felt deliberate. Dangerous.
She gave the others a single nod as she stepped forward, and instantly I knew exactly who she was.
This had to be Ezra. The leader of the Syndicate.
The sister Calix spoke about with this strange mix of fondness and trust, like he genuinely believed she could bend the world into shape if she decided hard enough.
Sitting here watching her step up to the restaurant like she owned the air everyone breathed, I understood why.
But why wereallof them here?
My phone buzzed against the table and it was from Lark. I opened the message quickly.
Lark:Sorry.
Just that one word and my stomach dropped instantly. This wasn’t an accident. Lark canceling. Calix and Rack suddenly getting called away. This was planned.
I slowly lifted my head just in time to see the four women angling directly toward my table and my heart stumbled hard in my chest.
If I’d still been human, I probably would’ve been sweating through my clothes by now. Instead, I dragged in breath after breath that did absolutely nothing to settle me.
People moved out of their way instinctively as they crossed the restaurant.
Each sister was so different from the other, not just in style but in attitude, and yet all of them had the same confidence, like they knew they ruled the world. That they were unstoppable.
The youngest, Aniyah waved at me, smiling wide like we were already friends before practically throwing herself into the seat beside me.
“Hi! You're Olivia right?! You're gorgeous!”
Before I could even respond, she grabbed my hand in both of hers and leaned in seriously.
“Okay. I need complete honesty.” Her expression turned absurdly grave. “Blink once for yes. Twice for no.” She inhaled deeply like she was preparing for battle. “Are you being held against your will?”
I blinked. “W-what?”
“Did Calix brainwash you somehow?” she continued rapidly. “Magic? Manipulation? Stockholm syndrome? Is there a hidden dungeon involved?”
Nova slid smoothly into the booth across from us, laughing under her breath while shaking her head.
“Don’t listen to her.” She leaned one elbow against the table casually, smiling warmly at me. “Some of us are actually thrilled our brother found a mate.”
Aniyah gasped dramatically and whipped toward Nova. “It’s not that I’m unhappy for him,” she defended immediately before turning back toward me.
“I’m simply performing my sacred womanly duty to make sure someone this pretty hasn’t been tricked into settling.”
Despite myself, I laughed softly.
Ezra removed her sunglasses as she slid into the booth beside Nova gracefully, crossing one leg over the other while studying me in complete silence.
Not rude. Not hostile. Just… assessing. Like I was a problem she intended to solve eventually.
Riot stayed standing near the end of the booth, posture loose but eyes constantly moving around the restaurant.
When her gaze landed on me, she gave a small nod. “Hello, Olivia.” Her voice stayed flat as always. “Good to see you.”
Then immediately afterward her attention shifted outward again, staring down half the restaurant until nearby tables quickly pretended not to look at us anymore.
