The Monteverde convoy moved under the cover of early dawn, three black SUVs winding through the dense brush of Chiapas like steel vipers. The trees leaned in overhead, casting mottled shadows across the road as if nature itself was unsure whether to shield them or devour them whole.Amara sat in the front passenger seat of the lead vehicle, a map splayed across her lap. Luca was behind the wheel, eyes sharp, posture rigid. Matteo sat behind them, silent, checking the rounds in his pistol."Ten clicks out," Luca muttered.Matteo looked up. "No visual on scouts yet?""None. Either they’re cocky or this is a damn trap.""Probably both," Amara murmured.Matteo leaned forward between them. "If Delilah’s guarding the perimeter herself, it means Sebastian’s still inside."Amara nodded. "And Natalia’s out there somewhere, too."Luca scoffed. "That woman’s a phantom. If she wants in, she’s already behind their lines."Matteo said nothing. He knew Luca was right. He also knew Natalia would neve
The vault hadn’t been opened in years. The iron hinges groaned in protest as Luca forced the door open with a long grunt, dust spiraling into the lantern light like smoke from a dying fire. Amara stepped in first, Matteo just behind her, his hand brushing her lower back like it was instinct. It was dark, colder than the rest of the estate—like the air remembered what had been locked inside.Amara’s voice was low. “This place feels like it’s holding its breath.”Matteo didn’t answer. He walked ahead, his boots echoing across stone as they moved deeper into the vault that had once held Monteverde’s deepest secrets—arms contracts, old blood treaties, even the personal journals of Rafael’s grandfather. But now, they searched for something older. Stranger. Something the Vasquez family seemed to know better than they did.“What exactly are we looking for?” Amara asked.Matteo ran his fingers along the wall. “Something Rafael said last night. About the southern coast. About hiding Sebastian
It began with a whisper. Then a crackle of static over the secure comms line in Rafael’s office.I was there, helping him sort old ledgers and red-stamped files, when the voice came through—grainy, amused, unmistakably cruel."Rafael Monteverde," Elias Vasquez drawled. "You lost your touch. Letting your little house rot from the inside. And yet, you’ve kept such an interesting secret."Rafael stiffened beside me. He pressed a button. "Identify yourself."Laughter crackled through the speaker. "You know who I am. But do you know where your son is?"The line went dead.Rafael didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. He just stared at the comm box, the light blinking in silence.I swallowed hard. "Rafael... you have a son?"He looked at me. Not with anger. Not even surprise. Just a bone-deep weariness."Not one I thought anyone still remembered."Twelve Years EarlierThe storm had hit fast that night—thunder snapping over the hills, lightning cracking trees like bones. Matteo was just nineteen, soak
The council chamber was quieter than usual—too quiet. The long oak table felt more like a battleground than a place of strategy. Matteo stood at the far end, hands clenched into fists, his shoulders taut like drawn wire.Rafael leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, watching. Luca stood with his arms crossed beside him, eyes narrowed like he was already halfway through an argument.Matteo didn’t waste time."We need to talk about Delilah."Rafael raised an eyebrow. "I thought we already did.""Not all of it."Luca's jaw tensed. "This again?"Matteo met his brother’s eyes. "You remember the Barcelona mission. Five years ago. You lost half your unit. You said it was an ambush.""Because it was."Matteo nodded. "Because someone sold your coordinates."Rafael sat up straighter. "What are you saying?"Matteo’s voice was low, steady. "Delilah did it. She sold out Luca’s team for money. I found the transfer records. The timing lines up. And the buyer? Vasquez."Luca’s fists slammed the
Matteo stood at the edge of the courtyard, staring at the old stone well like it might offer answers. Or forgiveness. The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the chapel spires, turning the cracked stones blood-red.He hadn’t spoken since Natalia was taken below. Not to me. Not to Rafael. Not even to Luca.So when he finally walked into Rafael’s study, it felt like the walls held their breath.Rafael glanced up from his ledger, brow raised. "You look like hell.""Because I’ve been in it."He closed the book slowly. "What’s this about?"Matteo didn’t sit. Didn’t fidget. He stood like someone ready for a bullet. "Elias Vasquez. I spared him."The silence hit hard.Rafael leaned back, studying him. "When?""Months ago. During the Cordoba raid. We had him cornered. He offered intel. I took it."Rafael’s jaw clenched. "You let him go.""I didn’t think he’d resurface so fast. Or so loud.""He murdered four of our men last week. He sent Delilah into our territory. You protected that."
The council room felt colder than before. Maybe it was the cracked windows, or maybe it was the accusation hanging in the air like smoke that refused to rise. I sat there, trying to make sense of the names flashing through my mind. Allegra. Delilah. Valkyrie.Natalia stood across the room, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The light from the chandelier flickered, throwing broken gold across her sharp features. She looked calm—too calm.Rafael tossed another folder onto the table. "Intercepted messages. Code names. Coordinates."He looked up slowly. "Natalia. Care to explain why these logs trace back to your terminal?"My heart stopped.Natalia didn't blink. "Because someone planted them.""That’s convenient," Luca muttered, standing just behind Rafael. "They were encrypted with your signature key.""Anyone with access could copy a key," Natalia replied, her voice clipped but steady.Rafael's gaze didn’t move. "So you're saying someone inside this house forged your digital ident