Chapter 100

Alessandro

The air in my office felt thick, like it was foreboding secrets it didn’t want to release.

Isabella had spoken up, and I could hide it well before her, but not to myself. I felt relieved and joyful knowing she could finally trust me, finally be open with me. I saw her every emotion—fear, anxiety, trauma—and I hated Diego for having to put her through all of these, but I was glad, maybe selfish, that she was with me.

I had been sitting behind the mahogany desk for the better part of an hour, watching steam rise from a cup of coffee I hadn’t touched, letting my mind work through the threads I’d been pulling for weeks. When my phone finally buzzed, cutting through the silence with the sharp efficiency of business, I knew it was the call I’d been waiting for.

I answered without ceremony.

“We found a few details on Diego.” The voice on the other end belonged to Enzo, my most reliable source—the man who saved me, trained me, built me, taught