His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.

Leo leaned back in his chair, his gray eyes fixed on Hazel across the table. The afternoon light filtered through the windows of his study, casting long shadows across the floor.

"So you’re going to have surgery?" he asked, setting down his pen.

Hazel nodded. "Next week."

"The doctor Dominique recommended?"

"Yes." She paused. "His mother."

Leo’s eyebrows rose. He had learned many things about Dominique over the past weeks, the modeling, the hacking, the prince revelation. But this? His mother was a surgeon?

No. He wasn’t surprised anymore. Dominique was full of mystery, secrets buried beneath secrets, each one wrapped in a smile and a joke. Every time Leo thought he had figured him out, something new emerged. Royalty. A prince. And now a mother who was one of the most respected surgeons in the world.

Royalty. Hmm. Not bad.

"I looked at her profile," Hazel said, her voice steady. "She’s done even more complicated cases than mine. Much more complicated. Cases that other surgeons called impossible."

Leo nodded slowly. He had suggested surgery to Hazel before, years ago. He had found doctors, arranged consultations, pulled strings. But Hazel had refused. She had been told no too many times. She had stopped hoping. So seeing her hopeful, he would have to thank Dominique for this. Not directly. He would never say it out loud, but he would find a way.

He knew Dominique liked his cousin. He had seen the way he looked at her, the way he hovered, the way he found excuses to be near her. And Leo didn’t mind. Not really. Hazel deserved someone who looked at her like that. Someone who made her hope again.

But if Dominique ever hurt her, if he ever made her regret this, Leo would beat him. Not metaphorically. He would find him and beat him until he regretted it.

"Yes," Hazel said, her voice calm. "I read her published papers. Watched her lectures. The before and after photos were encouraging."

Leo nodded. "So you’re hopeful."

"I’m realistic." She paused, her fingers tracing the edge of the armrest. "But yes. More hopeful than I’ve been in years."

Leo studied her face. The scar was still there, deep, visible, impossible to ignore. But her eyes were different now. Brighter. Less haunted. There was a light in them that had been missing for a long time.

"And Dominique?" Leo asked. "You know about his background now?"

"Yes."

"He’s a prince."

"He’s a prince."

They looked at each other.

"It explains things," Hazel said.

"His taste in clothes. His confidence. The way he behaves." Leo’s voice was dry, but there was no malice in it. Just observation.

"And his mother?"

"His mother is Kaelani. The surgeon." Hazel’s voice softened just slightly. "I watched videos of her patients, interviews. They talked about how she made them feel safe, seen. One woman said Kaelani held her hand before the anesthesia and promised she would be there when she woke up. And she was."

Leo nodded. "She has a good reputation."

"She has an excellent reputation."

They sat in silence for a moment, the evening light fading around them, the shadows growing longer.

"Next week," Leo said.

"Next week."

"I and your sister-in-law will be there." He paused. "Is Dominique going to be there?"

Hazel looked down at her hands. Her fingers twisted together, a rare tell. "Yes."

"Good," Leo said.

She looked up. Their eyes met. Two cold expressions, mirroring each other. Neither smiled. Neither needed to.

"Let’s talk about Nicolas," Leo said, his voice shifting. "He’s stopped making moves from his side. No attacks. No threats. Nothing." He frowned. "I suspect he’s coming up with new tricks. Something bigger."

Hazel’s expression hardened. "I guess so. But if he dares to try again, don’t think about his parents’ faces. Don’t show him any mercy." Her voice was cold and flat. "He needs to remember who he’s dealing with."

Leo nodded. "Hmm."

He had always respected Hazel’s restraint. She could have destroyed Nicolas after the wedding, after the humiliation, after the years of lies. But she had held back for his parents’ sake. But that restraint had limits. And Nicolas was pushing them.

"Also," Hazel said, "you don’t have to deal with the Umbra matters anymore. Aunty Kaelani told me Dominique’s father is handling it."

Leo’s eyebrows rose. "The king?"

"The king." Hazel’s lips curved just slightly. "Apparently, he was very angry when he found out someone sent an assassin after his son."

Leo nodded slowly. Royal wrath. He understood that.

"Good," he said. "One less thing to worry about."

"Have you found out why the Mafia council meeting was cancelled?" Hazel asked, leaning forward.

Leo leaned back, his fingers steepled. "Yeah. Russell Mafia. One of the council members was on his deathbed. There’s internal fighting happening now, succession disputes, power struggles. The meeting was cancelled because no one could agree on who should represent the family."

Hazel nodded. "It’s better if we don’t participate. Internal fights are messy."

"Agreed."

"And what about the mole in your house?" Hazel asked. "Why haven’t you found anyone?"

Leo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That’s the strangest part. I’ve had everyone investigated. Multiple times. Background checks, interviews, surveillance. Bella has been helping too. She’s been monitoring communications, tracking movements, cross-referencing schedules."

Hazel waited.

"We have CCTV cameras in every room, every hallway, the kitchen, the backyard." Leo’s voice was frustrated. "And there’s nothing. No evidence, no anomalies, no one acting suspicious."

"So what do you think?"

Leo met her eyes. "I think there is no mole. I think Pablo wanted us to believe there was. To make us anxious. To distract us." He paused, his jaw tightening. "And it worked."

Hazel nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "Still, you need to be careful. Better safe than sorry."

Leo inclined his head. "Agreed."

They sat in silence for a moment, the afternoon sun warm on their faces. Then Leo spoke again, his voice softer than usual.

"I’m happy for you. Your face will be fixed after surgery."

Hazel looked at him, surprised. Leo didn’t express emotions often. He didn’t offer compliments or comfort. But this was genuine.

"She said I need multiple surgeries," Hazel said, her voice light. "Not one."

"Alright."

They looked at each other. Two cold smiles. Matching in understanding.

"I heard sister-in-law is going to college?" Hazel asked, changing the subject.