C5

“Happy birthday, Daniels,” Fila and Ealia whispered in unison, catching me near the velvet-draped entrance.

I felt a sting behind my eyes, a sudden, sharp warmth. “You guys remembered? I’m floored. Seriously.”

“Please,” Fila smirked, shoving a metallic pink gift bag into my hand. “Like we’d let the Syndicate’s best ghost-coder celebrate without gear.”

“We already dropped our final modules at Julian Haven’s desk this morning,” Ealia added, adjusted her matching hot-pink blazer. “He decrypted them on the spot. We aced it, Daniels. Our bike privileges are locked in.”

I grinned, feeling a rare spark of pride, but the moment was cut short when I spotted Castalia Moretti watching me from the VIP lounge. I quickly straightened my dress and grabbed a fresh tray of champagne. I moved through the crowd, dodging eyes, until I turned the corner and nearly walked straight into the three of them.

Nickie, Matteo, and Luca stood like a wall of expensive tailored wool and raw power. Their scents hit me—espresso, salt-air, and bourbon—weaving into my new Noir protocols until my knees felt weak. I held out the tray, my hand trembling slightly.

Nickie didn't take a glass. He took the entire tray out of my hands.

“Rosa, take this,” Nickie commanded, shoving the tray toward a stunned Rosa Delgado without breaking eye contact with me.

Before I could protest, Luca’s hand clamped around mine, his skin searingly hot. “You’re coming with us, Daniels.”

“Wait—” I started, but Matteo was already behind me, his hands firm on my waist, guiding me forward.

They marched me past the staring socialites and up the grand staircase. We entered Luca’s high-tech suite, and the heavy door clicked shut with a motorized lock. I scrambled to the far corner, my back hitting the cold glass of the floor-to-ceiling window. The reality of the "Sync" was terrifying; they weren't just my bullies anymore. They were my biological anchors.

“Don’t look at us like we’re the enemy, Daniels,” Luca pleaded, his voice cracking. He looked physically pained by the distance I’d put between us. “I know we’ve earned it, but please.”

“We aren't going to break you,” Matteo growled softly, though his eyes were dark, tracking every breath I took. “We’re here to talk.”

“Talk?” I choked out. The tears I’d held back for eight years finally spilled over. I felt pathetic. I’d survived their taunts and their debt, but their kindness was breaking me. “You’ve spent a decade calling me a charity case. You’ve treated me like software you wanted to delete. And now, because some Syndicate algorithm says I’m your match, I’m supposed to just… sit down?”

Nickie looked like I’d shot him.

“Shh, Noir. It’s okay,” Matteo whispered, stepping closer to hand me a linen handkerchief.

Luca pulled my desk chair over, urging me to sit. I was suddenly surrounded by them—the smell of them, the heat radiating off their massive frames. I knew they could hear my heart redlining in my chest.

“You’re the match, Daniels,” Nickie said, his voice dropping to a low, authoritative rumble. “The Moretti line usually produces one match for a set of triplets because our neural signatures are identical. We’re essentially three versions of the same core. And that core belongs to you.”

“I know how the genetics work, Nickie,” I snapped, wiping my eyes. “I’m the one who handles the data around here, remember? One fertilised egg, one neural-link, one partner.”

“Then you know we’re serious,” Nickie said, ignored my bite. “The way we treated you… there’s no patch for that. No update that fixes the past. But we’re the new Dons now. We own the Syndicate, and we want you running it beside us. Not as a servant. As our equal.”

“Please let us show you,” Luca added, his hand hovering near mine.

I blushed, my mind racing through a thousand impossible scenarios. I’d never even been kissed, and now I had three billionaire bikers offering me a throne built on an apology.

“Oh, you’re so lethal when you’re quiet,” Matteo growled, his self-control snapping.

In a blur of speed, Matteo had me pinned against the wall. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling so sharply it made my head spin. He grazed his teeth against my pulse point, the traditional Syndicate mark of claiming.

“Stop!” I shrieked.

Instantly, Nickie and Luca tackled their brother, slamming him into the opposite wall.

“Control yourself, Teo!” Nickie roared, his voice vibrating through the floorboards.

Matteo panted, his eyes slowly clearing. “I’m sorry. Daniels… Noir… I’m sorry. The sync is hitting me hard.”

“It’s fine,” I said, my voice shaky as I straightened my hair. I let out a dry laugh. “Honestly, Teo? That wouldn't even make the top ten list of the worst things you’ve done to me. At least you didn't dump me in a frozen river this time.”

The silence that followed was heavy with guilt.

“So,” Luca said, trying to break the tension. “After Teo nearly blew our only shot… what’s the verdict?”

I looked at them. I had seven months until I graduated and could technically leave. My Noir instincts wanted to stay, to bridge the gap between our minds, but my pride was still screaming.

“I don't know what I want yet,” I told them.

“That’s fair,” Nickie said.

“Take all the time you need,” Matteo added, looking chastened.

“Which brings us to the real reason we brought you up here,” Nickie said, reaching under Luca’s bed.

“Happy birthday, Daniels,” they said in unison.

They pulled out dozens of designer bags—Virelli Plaza’s best. My heart sank.

“I didn't get you anything,” I whispered, feeling that old shame creep back in. “I have zero credits in my account. I couldn't even buy a card.”

Matteo laughed, a genuine, warm sound. “Baby, we know you have no money. We’re the ones who’ve been holding the purse strings. That ends tonight.”

“I’ll open these later,” I said, my voice soft. I reached out, and for the first time in my life, I didn't pull away when they touched me.

Matteo lifted me off my feet in a crushing hug, swinging me around. Luca pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to my forehead. And Nickie? He just took my hand, his thumb tracing my knuckles as if he were memorizing my signature.

“Go put your gear in your room,” Nickie said softly. “We’ll be waiting at the bottom of the stairs to introduce the new partner of the Moretti Syndicate.”