Mag-log inFernando's POVI watched Emilio disappear down the corridor before I allowed myself to breathe again.Only once he was completely gone did I turn my full attention back to Michael.He stood there, silent, rigid, his jaw clenched so tightly I could almost hear his teeth grind. That look on his face, the restrained fury, the hurt barely leashed, was one I knew too well.It was the same look he used to wear before everything went wrong.“Come inside,” I said calmly.Michael didn’t move.“I said come inside,” I repeated, my voice colder now.After a moment, he obeyed. Not because he wanted to but because some part of him still responded to my authority and to the bond we shared whether he liked it or not.The door closed behind us with a quiet finality.I folded my hands behind my back, keeping my posture relaxed even as dread curled viciously in my chest. “You were questioning Emilio,” I said evenly.Michael laughed, but there was no humor in it. “That’s what you call it?”“You had no
Michael's POVA few days had passed since the argument with Ashley, but the weight of it still sat heavy in my chest like a stone and it followed me everywhere.Even now, as I sat on the rug of the safe house living room, building a crooked tower of wooden blocks with Henry, my mind was nowhere near the colorful pieces in my hands.“Michael,” Henry said, squinting at the structure. “You’re putting it wrong. The big one goes under.”I blinked and looked down. He was right. I had stacked the smallest block at the base, and the whole thing was leaning dangerously.“Ah,” I said, forcing a smile. “Master builder has spoken.”Henry grinned proudly. At six years old, he had that rare combination of innocence and sharp awareness that made him both comforting and terrifying to be around. He noticed things, too many things.I fixed the tower, careful this time, while Henry hummed under his breath.But even with him right beside me, I couldn’t stop thinking about Ashley, Nick and Fernando.Ashle
Michael's POV The next morning dragged like a weight tied to my ankle.Ashley had been locked away in one of the guest rooms all day, her door closed, her curtains drawn, her voice silent. Every time I passed the hallway, I found myself slowing down, hoping I would hear movement or even the faintest sign of her but nothing ever came.I kept telling myself that it made sense. She had been kidnapped and traumatized so she needed space to rest, but knowing that didn’t stop the frustration burning under my skin.I wanted to be there for her, but instead, she hid away from all of us and somehow, that hurt more than I wanted to admit.By late afternoon, I couldn’t stand it anymore.I stopped pacing my room, grabbed the door handle, and walked straight to her room. My heartbeat thudded viciously in my chest the moment I reached her door.I paused.I hadn’t planned what I would say. I just knew I needed to see her.I knocked twice but there was silence then shuffling.The door opened slight
Fernando’s POV I shut the study door behind me and let out a slow breath. Santiago’s words had been scratching at my skull since the moment he said them.I lowered myself into the armchair behind the desk and rubbed my temples.“Sir,” one of the maids Anabelle brought said softly from the doorway. “Do you need anything?”“Whisky,” I muttered. “A strong one and bring the bottle.”She bowed quickly and disappeared. A moment later she returned with two maids in tow, one carrying a tray with a deep-amber bottle and the other with two crystal glasses. They set everything down then bowed.“Leave it,” I said.Once the door clicked shut, silence wrapped around me again.I poured a drink, watched the whisky swirl into the glass like a slow-moving storm, and tried to steady my mind.Could Marlo betray me? Had he done so already?He had always stood beside me, my right hand, my most trusted ally since before I met Michael and Henry were born.“Stop,” I muttered to myself. “You’re thinking you
Michael’s POV The creak of the door opening made me freeze in place. I had been sitting by the window, waiting for Fernando to return with Ashley, when I heard the familiar sound.“Dad!” Henry’s small voice rang out, full of energy and warmth. He ran to meet him while I followed quickly behind him, my own voice breaking into a wide grin. “Fernando!” I called, rushing toward him.Fernando’s eyes met mine through the dim light, and for a moment, the weight of the past few days seemed to lift. He looked tired, but there was that familiar calm strength in his posture.Henry practically leapt into his arms, wrapping around him with all the energy and innocence a six-year-old could muster.I stopped a few steps back, watching them with a smile, before turning to Ashley. She was standing slightly behind Fernando, her eyes low, her face filled with happiness. Relief washed over me. “Ashley, you’re finally okay,” I said softly, almost in disbelief. “I was so worried.”She smiled at me, tha
Fernando’s POV The echo of gunfire still rang faintly in my ears as I stepped over the fallen bodies, the smell of gunpowder clinging to my clothes. My chest heaved, not from exhaustion, but from the burning, insatiable anger that surged through me. Santiago’s retreating car disappeared into the distance, and for a brief moment, silence fell like a heavy blanket over the warehouse.“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, kicking a stone. “Why didn’t we kill him and end this today?”Marlo, standing a few feet away, his face filled with sweat, met my gaze. “We did what we could, boss. Santiago’s alive, yeah, but so are we. He won’t forget this either.”I turned to him, feeling the tension coil tighter in my chest. “That’s not enough, Marlo. I want him to pay for everything he has done.”Marlo swallowed, not meeting my eyes. “We were outnumbered for a moment there, but—”“I don’t care about excuses!” I snapped, my voice echoing off the empty buildings around us. “We have to be smart







