Chapter 27 Petals And Poison

• The gunshot rang out, echoing off the courtyard walls. Valentina felt the rush of air as the bullet slammed into the stone behind her. Splinters bit into her cheek, but she didn’t flinch. She rolled to her left, firing two shots in Isabel’s direction. The other woman ducked behind a column, her mocking smile still etched in Valentina’s mind.
• Marisol’s voice cut through the gunfire. “Seal the exits!” Black Rose soldiers scrambled to obey, some dragging overturned tables into position while others poured bullets toward the attackers.
• Rafael moved with practiced precision, his shots dropping two of Mateo’s men before they could breach deeper into the courtyard. He glanced at Valentina once, a flicker of something—recognition? Regret?—in his eyes before his focus returned to the fight.