Leo stopped in his tracks but didn''t turn around. I knew he was waiting for me to speak.


    "Leo, you knew, didn''t you..." The thought of those photos made my voice tremble involuntarily.


    Nelson wasn''t the only one who knew about those photos. At the very least, the security team on the third floor of The Secret knew, and so did udia. Thinking about the call I''d just received from udia-was the "secret" she mentioned referring to those photos?


    Leo didn''t look back, but I heard him take a deep breath. "If you behave yourself, no one else will find out."


    His voice was so emotionless that I couldn''t discern whether his words were a warning or something else.


    Nichs was furious, clearly interpreting Leo''s words as a tant provocation, showing no respect for him. "Leo! Don''t you dare..."


    "Nichs," I interrupted softly before he could finish. "Let him go."


    After speaking, I felt dazed, my gaze drifting aimlessly, unable to focus.


    Nichs watched Leo leave, then pulled up a chair to sit beside me, his expression dark. "What does he know?"


    He hated the feeling of Ariana hiding things from him. It filled him with a sense of unease, a fear that she didn''t trust him enough to share everything.


    I blinked, snapping out of my daze, and mechanically picked up my spoon, putting a bite of food in my mouth and chewing it repeatedly. It was tasteless-I couldn''t even tell what I was eating.


    "Let''s finish our meal. It''s been dyed long enough that it''s getting cold. It won''t taste good anymore."


    Suddenly, Nichs snatched the spoon from my hand. "If you don''t want to eat, then don''t. I''ll have someone bring fresh food."


    "No. Don''t waste it. I''m not that hungry anyway-I''m already full."


    "Ari, is there something you''re hiding from me? Something you can''t tell me?" Nichs'' expression looked genuinely hurt.


    For some reason, seeing the slight tears in his dark eyes stirred a sense of guilt in me. But I couldn''t even pinpoint the source of that guilt.


    I turned my eyes away from him.


    "There''s nothing. You''re overthinking it. He used to be Yasmine''s


    boyfriend didn''t he? I just wanted to shady


    ask if he knew about the wanted


    dealings at The Secret. I feel bad for Yasmine-after all, he was her first love."


    Nichs'' gaze deepened, clearly unconvinced. What I said didn''t match Leo''s cryptic response after all.


    He sighed inwardly, realizing I didn''t want to tell him. So, no matter how much he pressed, it would be futile.


    He took my hand in his, his rough thumb brushing over the back of it.


    "Ari," he called softly.


    I looked up, noticing his expression was no longer as gloomy as before. "What is it?"


    Nichs suddenly smiled at me. "Am I your first love?"


    I felt like a startled cat, yanking my hand from his grasp so abruptly that even I was surprised by my reaction.


    I coughed awkwardly, realizing I had overreacted. "That''s all in the past."


    Nichs said nothing more, simply looking at me with a rxed smile.


    Feeling my face heat up, I red at him fiercely. He clearly already knew, so there was no need for me to deny my past. He was doing it on purpose.


    I told him I needed to see Neal. After


    some thought, he agreed but


    insisted on apanying me.


    didn''t mind. I couldn''t drive right


    now, and I needed him to take me.


    I thought he hadn''t taken Leo''s warning seriously, but as we got into the car noticed that three other cars surrounded ours-one in front and two behind-providing a protective formation.