MasukThree weeks had passed, and Eilleen still felt completely drained.She was slowly learning how to live like a Santiago, but honestly, she was tired of it. Tired of the fighting. Tired of the lies. Tired of always having to think three steps ahead just to stay alive.For the first few days after José was released, she had been waiting for Alvarez to contact her. She kept checking her secret phone, hoping to see a message that would tell her there was still a way out.Five days after José walked free, the message finally came.It was from Alvarez.I know how you must be feeling right now, but I did everything in my power. José has influential people wrapped around his finger. You can't imagine how badly I want José on his knees.Eilleen stared at the message for a long time.She knew Alvarez had tried. She knew he had put in so much effort trying to bring José down. But knowing that didn't make her feel any better.She didn't reply.She simply locked the phone and put it away.What was
It had been more than thirty minutes since Eilleen watched the news about José being arrested.With every minute that passed, her dread kept growing bigger and bigger.She was yet to receive any text from Detective Alvarez.She wanted to know what was happening at the station. Had José been questioned? Had they found enough evidence to keep him there? Was he finally going to pay for everything he had done?Eilleen picked up the secret phone again and checked the screen.Nothing.She sighed and dropped it on the bed.She was also beginning to wonder if this was the right time to reach out to Kate and Steve.She really missed them.She missed the life she had before José.She picked up her laptop and was about to search for Kate's name on Instagram when she suddenly heard the sound of a car driving into the mansion.Eilleen froze.She quickly stood up and walked toward the window.A black jeep drove into the mansion.She watched it carefully.For almost three minutes, no one came out.T
By the end of the day, Alvarez had learned that the Santiagos were extremely powerful criminals who had many influential and powerful people on their payroll.He knew Luca was in serious danger.He needed to find Luca's friend, the man who had stolen the drugs, because that was the only way he could prove that Luca had nothing to do with the missing drugs.Days passed, and Alvarez kept searching for a way to resolve the situation, but he couldn't find Luca's friend anywhere.In the meantime, he increased the security around the house. He installed cameras and motion detectors around the property to make sure Luca and Mira were safe while he continued trying to figure out what to do.Four days had passed.Alvarez still couldn't find Luca's friend, and there was no way he could raise two hundred thousand dollars to pay back the cartel.One afternoon, Alvarez was sitting at his desk, going through information on his computer, when his phone suddenly rang.He picked it up and placed it ag
"I need you to find out everything about that detective," José said as soon as they drove away. "There's something about him. I could see the rage in his eyes whenever he looked at me. That's why. That's why he's been after me for all these years. Find out everything about him."Raymond glanced at him but said nothing.José leaned back in his seat, his mind already working.There was something about Detective Alvarez that he didn't like. It wasn't just the anger of a police officer who had failed to arrest him. There was something deeper in his eyes.Something personal.José wanted to know what it was.Back at the station, Detective Alvarez grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder. He picked up his keys and walked out of the building. He couldn't stay in that office for one more minute.Not today.He drove straight home.The moment he stepped inside, he dropped his bag on the floor and walked toward the small cabinet where he kept his whiskey. He grabbed a bottle and didn't even
The mayor was frustrated, but he knew he couldn't go against José Santiago.José had too much dirt on his family. Even though the mayor himself had nothing to hide, his family had so many dirty secrets that he want to remain buried forever.His family's legacy was a major part of why he had been elected mayor. People respected his family name because of everything his father had supposedly done for the city.The schools.The hospitals.The charities.The donations.Everything looked clean from the outside.But the truth was completely different.The money his father had invested in the city had come from drugs and the trafficking of underage girls.It was a secret the mayor was willing to die with.He couldn't allow anyone to find out.Not now.Not ever.The mayor grabbed his phone and immediately called the head of the New York Police Department.He knew exactly what he had to do.Back at the police station, Raymond walked back into the room where José was waiting."I made the call,"
José sat calmly in the interrogation room while Detective Alvarez watched him through the glass.For fifteen minutes, Alvarez didn't move.He simply stood there, staring at the man he had hunted for sixteen years.Sixteen years of chasing José Santiago, gathering information, following leads, watching cases fall apart, and seeing the man somehow slip through every gap.And now José was sitting right there.Behind a glass window.In police custody.José had taken so much from him over the years. He had caused him pain, frustration, and sleepless nights. Alvarez had watched innocent people suffer because of José's criminal activities, and every time he thought he was finally close to catching him, José found a way to disappear.But today was different.Today, José had nowhere to run.He would build a case so strong against José, a case that will lock him up forever.José's men were being interrogated in separate rooms. Some were nervous, some were angry, and some refused to speak.But J
Hours passed, and they were still stuck there—trapped in the silence of that heavy room, unaware of what was going on outside. The air felt suffocating, filled with fear and the faint scent of dried blood that lingered in their memories.Eilleen sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers tightly clasp
Chapter 23“We need to go downstairs,” Eilleen whispered to Josh, her voice trembling but controlled.“Why?” Josh asked quietly, his small voice almost drowned by the distant sounds of gunfire.“We need a weapon. I don’t think the guards are coming for us yet.”Eilleen slowly peeped outside the doo
“Josh! Josh!!” Eilleen called out as she raced behind him, her voice breaking with desperation.Josh slammed the door hard as soon as he got into his room. He was about to lock it, but Eilleen forced her way in, shoving the door open before it clicked shut.“Leave me alone!” he shouted, throwing hi
The mall was lively and filled with people—happy family faces everywhere. Josh went to the toy section to pick a toy, and Mrs. Maya headed to the grocery aisle to grab some vegetables. Eileen stood beside him as he scanned through the shelves. She picked up a toy robot.“Do you like this?” she aske







