Page 132 of Lost & Found

And then—Call from The Counselor.

Siri’s cheerful, intrusive tone rang through the room like a referee blowing a whistle. We froze. For one suspended second, neither of us moved. Then Pasha broke first. He pulled back just enough to look at me, disbelief flickering across his face before it cracked entirely.

A low laugh escaped him, growing into full, helpless amusement as he dropped his forehead against mine.

“I swear it’s an omen.”

The laughter spilled out of him, rich and unrestrained. I stood there blinking up at him, lips swollen, heart racing, trying to decide if the universe was mocking me or flat out trying to sabotage me. First Sebastian. Now Marcel. At this point, I was convinced there was a group chat somewhere titled Operation Keep Them Frustrated.

I exhaled slowly, equal parts mortified and amused. The irony was almost poetic. Every time we stopped pretending and leaned into something real, the outside world barged in.

Pasha kissed the corner of my mouth one last time, softer now. “You should answer it,” he breathed, not letting me go.

“And if I don’t,” I challenged.

“I suppose, since Marcel is reasonable. He’ll leave a message. Unlike your brother. Go on.”

He gave me a gentle shove. “Siri, answer,” I said, walking toward the phone to disconnect it and take the call more privately.

“Hey,” Marcel said. “It’s not too late, is it?”

“No, we were just getting ready to eat. It’s fine.” The answer came automatically, though my eyes drifted toward Pasha. “It’s late for you. What’s up?”

“Couldn’t sleep. I looped Nik in like you asked. He locked himself in his office for hours. He’s got something. Solid information.”

My pulse, which had still been riding the high of dancing and almost-kissing, slowed abruptly. Solid information.

Across the room, Pasha popped the champagne. The cork ricocheted off the ceiling and landed somewhere near the couch. He grinned, triumphant, completely unaware of the shift in my world.

He poured the golden liquid into one glass. It caught the firelight. Trepidation crept in, cool and steady. Would he go the distance with me on this?

I slipped out onto the patio, sliding the screen closed behind me. The ocean air wrapped around me, cooler than I expected.

“If you decide to pursue this,” Marcel continued, “we’ll need to put it to a vote.”

“Full family?” I asked.

“I’m vetoing that straight up. For a whole host of reasons. Primarily that it becomes a fiasco and everyone will insist on being there. That defeats the purpose and risks setting Kinsley back. Tori, I’m less concerned about.”

“So partial family vote.” I stared out at the dark horizon. “Majority rules?”

“That’s how we’ve always done it. And you know you have my backing. Nik’s too.”

I turned, looking through the glass. Inside, Pasha adjusted the plates, completely at ease. He fixed his sleeves and then poured a second glass. Mental math ticked through my head. Marcel. Nik. Me. If I secured Pasha’s vote, that would be four. Even if Alek and Ivan pushed back, we’d still carry it.

Sebastian would say no. That I already knew.

“I’ll bring it up,” I said. “Tonight, maybe, if the opportunity presents itself. If not, tomorrow for sure.”

“Might be wise. Your brother—”

“Needs to get a life. For real, Marcel.”

A quiet chuckle filtered through the line. “Talk it over with Pasha. Give the kid a moment to think about it. Just remember—no matter what you decide, you can change your mind.”

The tightness in my chest loosened just a fraction.

“Thank you,” I breathed.