FAZER LOGINABANDONED WAREHOUSE~ NEW YORK CITYRebecca sat completely still in her chair, staring straight ahead with her jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might crack.One of the men stepped out from the shadows and walked over to her. He set a small metal case on the floor beside her chair and opened it without saying a single word. Rebecca glanced down at what was inside, and a sound came out of her mouth that was almost a scream, but not quite.From behind her, Miguel asked the same question again. "Who paid you?" His voice was exactly the same as before—same flat tone, same quiet volume, as if he were casually asking her what she wanted for dinner.Rebecca's voice broke when she tried to answer. "I can't tell you. If I tell you, they will—"Miguel cut her off as he walked around to face her. "They will what?" He knelt down so his eyes were level with hers, and up close, she could see that his eyes were even darker than she'd thought. There was no anger in them, no heat—just a terr
For a moment, the room went completely silent.Ariana slowly turned back and looked at Gabriella. Her eyes burned with pure anger. Baby Aiden was still crying loudly in her arms.A maid rushed out of the kitchen after hearing the loud noise.Ariana gently placed Aiden into the maid’s arms. “Please hold him for me,” she said quietly. “Let me deal with this Spanish spiteful untrained bitch.”The maid nodded nervously and stepped back, rocking the baby.Ariana’s gaze never left Gabriella.“I’ve put up with your lies for years,” Ariana said. “But nobody slaps me and walks away smiling.”Gabriella crossed her arms. “Oh? And what are you going to do about it?”Ariana smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. It was the kind of smile that warned trouble was coming.“You should’ve kept your hands to yourself.”Before Gabriella could answer, Ariana lunged at her.Gabriella screamed as they crashed to the marble floor. Ariana landed on top and grabbed a fistful of Gabriella’s hair.“Get off me!” Gabrie
ALEJANDRO’S HOUSE — FRONT DOOR — 2:30 PMAriana stepped out of the car with baby Aiden resting on her hip.Her suitcases were still in the trunk.She hadn’t even gone home.After a fourteen-hour flight from Italy, she had come straight here.For weeks, Amelia had been calling her. Then suddenly, the calls stopped. The messages stopped. Everything stopped.When Ariana finally found someone who knew what had happened, she booked the first flight out of Rome without a second thought.She hadn’t even packed properly.Aiden grabbed a handful of her hair and giggled.Ariana smiled tiredly and kissed his forehead.“We’re going to see Aunt Amelia, little man,” she said softly. “She’s probably going to spoil you the second she sees you.”Aiden babbled happily. “Yeah, I missed her too.”Carrying him in one arm, Ariana walked up the front steps and lifted her hand to knock.Before her knuckles touched the door, it swung open.Ariana stopped.Her heart skipped a beat.She stared at the woman stan
ABANDONED WAREHOUSE – EAST SIDE – 11:45 PMThe warehouse had no windows.The only light came from a single hanging bulb in the center of the room. It swung slightly from the draft coming under the door. The shadows it made were long and unsteady. The floor was concrete. Cold and stained and unforgiving.Rebecca Stein sat in the middle of it all.She was tied to a metal chair with her wrists bound behind her back and her ankles strapped to the legs. Her designer blazer was torn at the shoulder. One heel had snapped off her shoe. Her hair, always so perfectly styled for court, was hanging loose and damp around her face.She had been grabbed from the courthouse parking garage forty minutes ago.One second she was walking to her car with her briefcase in her hand. The next, a black hood was over her head and she was in the back of a vehicle moving fast through streets she couldn't see.Now she was here.She didn't know where here was.Three men stood around the edges of the room. Big
Rebecca finally looked at her. Her expression was calm. Professional and completely unreadable."Trust me," she said. "I know what I'm doing."The guards came and stood on either side of her. She rose from the witness stand on unsteady legs and walked toward the side door.As they led her out, she passed close to the gallery. For just a second, she thought she saw a familiar face near the back. A man in dark glasses, sitting very still.She blinked.He was gone. Or maybe he had never been there.The door closed behind her."I'm going to get us out of here," she whispered. "I promise."OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE — 12:45 PMMiguel sat in a black car across the street. Lucas was in the driver's seat."Did she see you, boss?" Lucas asked.Miguel took off his sunglasses. "She said my name. In front of everyone."Lucas shook his head. "That's dangerous. If anyone finds out you're alive…"Miguel stared at the courthouse doors. "I had to see her. She's carrying my brother's child. She's fighti
Rebecca sat beside Amelia at the defense table, flipping through papers. She leaned over and whispered, "Stay calm. Don't raise your voice. Let me handle it."Amelia nodded.Judge Morrison sat at the bench with his glasses low on his nose. He looked up when the room was completely silent."Mrs. Favino. You may take the stand."Amelia stood. Her legs felt like water. She walked to the witness stand and sat down. She folded her hands in her lap and pressed them together hard to keep them still.Mr. Harris rose from his chair. He buttoned his jacket and walked slowly toward her."Mrs. Favino," he said. "Let's talk about what happened to Marisa Favino."Amelia kept her voice steady. "I've already told the court everything I know.""Yes, you have." He nodded slowly. "You said you were at work. You said you received a phone call telling you your mother-in-law had collapsed. You said you had nothing to do with what happened to her.""That's the truth.""Is it?" He walked closer. "Because
“Can you come over?” Amelia’s voice cracked. “Please. I need—I can’t—”“I’m already in my car,” Ariana said. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Have you eaten anything?”“I don’t—no. I don’t know.”“I’m bringing food. And mezcal.”“You’re eight months pregnant. You can’t drink mezcal.”“The mezcal
FAVINO GRAND MANSION ~ SPAIN The early morning sun was just starting to brighten the sky over Seville when Marisa Favino’s phone lit up with the news alert. She was sitting in the breakfast room of the family estate, sipping her café con leche, when she saw the headline.Her coffee cup clattered
EIGHT WEEKS LATER ~ NEW YORK The photograph was perfect grainy enough to look authentic, clear enough to see what mattered. Sofia held her phone at arm’s length, studying the ultrasound image they’d doctored that afternoon. A tiny blob, measurements along the side, and most importantly, a date s
“He didn’t believe me. He’s demanding a paternity test.”“We expected that.”“Yes, but he might tell Amelia.” Gabriella stood up, pacing. “That’s actually better. Much better. Let him tell her himself. Let her hear it from him that there might be another woman’s baby. The doubt alone will eat her a







