Chapter 215

• GUSTAVO
• I stood on the upper balcony with the morning breeze coming cool across my face. The roses below smelled strong even from up here. I held the tablet in one hand, scrolling through the latest security layout for the ball. Lines and dots showing guard posts, camera sweeps, entry points. Everything mapped clean. But my eyes kept drifting down to the garden.
• Valentina was there. Talking to two of the delivery guys unloading crates of linens. She pointed at one stack, then another. Her voice carried just enough for me to catch the tone. Firm. Clear. No yelling. The men nodded fast and moved the crates where she wanted them. She didn’t have to ask twice.