“Oh, Zhou.” Lingyi broke into a long sob. “I know. Go with Iris. Please.”

My vision blurred. “I can’t.” I felt Daiyu’s hand again, her fingers pressing gently against my palm. “I’m going with Daiyu.”

“She’s Jin’s daughter, Zhou,” Iris said, not bothering to keep the contempt from her voice.

I met her gaze. Her dark eyes gleamed faintly from a faraway streetlight. “And she saved my life. She saved yours.”

“You’re angry,” Lingyi replied. “Because we failed to find you. We left you there—”

“No,” I cut her off. “I’m not angry. It was always the mission first. We all knew that.” We had abided by it, and lost Victor because of it. At this moment, when we should have been feeling triumphant, I only felt numb. Grief swelled in the shadows, waiting, and all too familiar.

“It was the hardest call I ever had to make,” Lingyi said, sounding broken. “I had to force Arun out of the building.”

“You did right.” I wiped the ash and tears from my eyes. “It’s why you’re our boss.”

She hiccupped a tiny laugh. “Then come home. I command it.”

“I’ll see you, boss.” I removed the earpiece and handed it back to Iris.

She had been crying too, but looked so furious, I feared she would try and drag me with her by the ear. Instead, she turned without a word and ran into the night, disappearing like smoke down a dark alleyway.

Distant sirens wailed, drawing closer.

“Jason,” Daiyu said. “Your secret—what your friends did tonight—I’ll never tell.”

I nodded, wanting more than anything to fall into her arms, to hold her. Because it felt like I’d lost everything again, with Jin Corp’s collapse.

“Thank you for . . .” What? Saving my life? Promising to keep our secret? “Everything.” I kissed Daiyu’s hand before letting go.

She caught my wrist again firmly. “You told your friends you’re coming with me . . . tonight.”

“I was being presumptuous,” I said with a faint smile. Even that hurt my bruised face. But I did choose her. I didn’t explain that this choice would wedge a divide between me and my friends longer than just one night. I knew that Lingyi and Iris would see it as a betrayal, as embracing the yous. I didn’t know where Arun would stand. Victor would probably tease me relentlessly for choosing a girl over my “ideals”—but it was more than that. I had gone into this seeing the world in stark contrast: black and white, us versus them. Now I knew it wasn’t as simple as that.

Then my mind stuttered. Vic was gone. Dead.

“No, you weren’t,” she said.