Chapter 186: I never thought I’d see the day

The night was surprisingly peaceful.

The kind of calm that felt earned, like the weight of the past few years was finally shifting into something lighter, something manageable.

Seraphina sat on the back patio, feet curled under her, a cold, non-alcoholic cocktail in hand as she watched the rest of their group settle into the evening.

Dominic was manning the grill with absolute authority, flipping steaks like it was a classified mission. James stood nearby, sipping a drink, throwing in occasional critiques just to annoy him.

"You’re flipping too soon," James muttered.

Dominic didn’t even look at him. "If you say another word, Carter, I will shove this steak down your throat before it’s cooked."

James smirked. "Now that would be a shame. You do know what you’re doing."

Damon, sitting next to Seraphina, chuckled. "Dad, just let him pretend he’s the expert for once."

Dominic snorted, flipping another steak. "I’d rather die."

James took a slow sip of his drink. "Your loss."

Seraphina shook her head, watching the scene unfold.

Some things never changed.

Liam had been acting weird all night.

Which, considering it was Liam, meant he had been acting normal.

Too normal.

Seraphina noticed it immediately.

So did Damon.

So did literally everyone else.

So, when Alexandra nudged Liam as they sat together on the couch, murmuring something under her breath, Liam finally sighed, dragging a hand through his hair.

"Okay, okay," Liam muttered. "I was going to wait, but whatever."

Seraphina arched a brow. "Wait for what?"

Liam exhaled.

Then, grinning, he turned to Alexandra.

"You want to tell them, or should I?"

Alexandra rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Go ahead, Carter."

Liam clapped his hands together. "Alright, idiots, listen up. Alexandra and I are getting married."

Silence.

Then—

Zayn choked on his drink. "What the hell—?"

James sighed. "Finally."

Tessa blinked. "Seriously?"

Liam smirked. "What? You thought I was gonna make her wait forever?"

Seraphina tilted her head. "Honestly? Yeah."

Alexandra snorted.

Liam sighed dramatically. "I am deeply wounded by the lack of faith in me."

Damon chuckled. "Congratulations, Carter. You somehow managed to convince her to tolerate you for the rest of her life."

Liam grinned. "Talent, my friend."

Alexandra shook her head. "More like persistence."

Seraphina smirked. "That, I believe."

Liam sighed. "You all suck."

But he didn’t stop smiling.

Because this was exactly what he wanted.

And for once?

It felt real.

Once dinner was finished, cocktails (and mocktails) in hand, everyone settled around the fire pit.

Liam, naturally, decided it was time for Truth or Dare.

"Absolutely not," Zayn muttered.

"Come on," Liam smirked. "We all have secrets. Let’s spill some."

"Or we could have a normal conversation," Orion muttered, but no one was listening.

James, who had been unusually quiet, cleared his throat.

"Actually," James said, leaning back, his usual smirk replaced by something more serious. "There’s something Orion and I have been discussing."

The group immediately focused in.

James never spoke like that unless it was something big.

Seraphina set her drink down. "Go on."

James exhaled.

"We’re considering shifting Apex into an official government collaboration," he said. "With a certain division of the CIA."

Silence.

Then—

"You want to turn Apex into a government-run agency?" Zayn asked, brows furrowing.

"No," Orion clarified. "We’d still run it. We’d still have full control over how it operates. But we’d be funded, backed, and—more importantly—we’d no longer be responsible for taking every mission personally."

Seraphina’s grip tightened slightly. "Meaning?"

James leaned forward.

"Meaning," he said carefully, "we transition out of fieldwork completely. We move into full leadership. We still train, still recruit, still run every operation—but we don’t go into the field anymore. Our team doesn’t go into the field anymore."

Damon exhaled, rubbing a hand over his jaw.

"So the CIA handles the fieldwork," Damon murmured.

Orion nodded. "We handle the rest."

It was a big shift.

Bigger than any of them had considered.

For years, Apex had been their lives. Being in the field had been their lives.

But now?

Now, they had other things. Other people. Other futures.

Seraphina looked at Damon.

Damon looked at her.

They had already decided they were stepping away.

But now?

Now, it wasn’t just about them.

It was about everyone.

Zayn exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "So… you’re saying we all get to have normal jobs now?"

James smirked. "As normal as it gets, Rivera."

Liam sighed dramatically. "I never thought I’d see the day."

Damon smirked. "You sure you can handle retirement, Carter?"

Liam grinned. "Hey, as long as Alexandra doesn’t make me work in a hospital, I think I’ll be fine."

Alexandra rolled her eyes. "You’re impossible."

Seraphina glanced at James and Orion, measuring their expressions.

"You think it’s the right move?" she asked.

James nodded.

"It’s the only move," he said. "We built this to last. If we want it to keep going, we have to step back."

Orion leaned back in his chair. "Besides, we deserve a life too."

That was the part that hit the hardest.

Because, for the first time, it was true.

They had spent years surviving.

Now?

Now, maybe it was time to start living.

Seraphina exhaled.

Then, softly—"Okay."

Damon laced his fingers through hers, squeezing lightly.

"Okay," he murmured.

James smirked. "Well then. Looks like we just made history."

Zayn groaned. "You’re so dramatic."

James grinned. "And yet, you’re still here."

Zayn rolled his eyes, but there was no real bite behind it.

Because maybe—**just maybe—**this was the first decision that truly made sense.

A future where they weren’t constantly running, constantly fighting, constantly looking over their shoulders.

A future where they got to choose what came next.

And for once?

That was a future worth fighting for.