CHAPTER 27Morning After
She woke to sunlight and the solid warmth of Leo beside her. He was already awake, propped on one elbow, watching her sleep.
"Good morning," he said, his voice morning-rough.
"Good morning." She smiled, feeling strangely shy.
He leaned down and kissed her, slow and deep. "We're late."
"For what?"
"Breakfast. And a security briefing." He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Sylas found something."
The intimacy of moments before evaporated, replaced by the familiar tension. They dressed quickly—Luna in a simple dress, Leo in another impeccable suit.
In the dining room, the family was already assembled. The atmosphere was grim.
Sylas stood at the head of the table, a tablet in hand. "We traced the data leak," he said without preamble. "It originated from the Xiānyǔ family servers."
Luna's blood ran cold. "What?"
"Not you," Sylas clarified. "Your brother. Kai."
The world tilted. "Kai? He wouldn't—"
"He did." Sylas pulled up logs on the main screen. "He accessed the Jade Consortium files three days ago. He copied them to an external drive. And yesterday, that drive was used to attempt a blackmail demand against the Yèshòus."
"Blackmail for what?" Leo asked, his voice dangerously calm.
"Money. And a seat on the council." Sylas looked at Luna. "He's in over his head. The Yèshòus didn't pay. They're hunting him."
Luna's mind raced. Kai—her quiet, anxious brother who preferred ancient texts to family politics. "He wouldn't do this alone. Someone pushed him."
"Your mother," Ming said quietly. "She's been maneuvering for more power since the alliance was announced. This could be her play."
"Or," Zara said, "it could be a setup. Someone framing Kai to destabilize us."
Leo stood. "Where is he now?"
"Missing," Sylas said. "He hasn't been home in two days. His phone is off the grid."
Luna's phone buzzed. An unknown number. She answered.
"Luna." Kai's voice was thin, terrified. "I need help."
"Where are you?"
"They're after me. The Yèshòus. I didn't mean—it was just supposed to be leverage. Mother said—"
The line went dead.