Chapter 40

• The atmosphere in the safe house was suffocating. The note pinned to the front door by Matteo’s men had changed everything. Rafael sat at the kitchen table, his jaw clenched as he scanned the security footage from the perimeter cameras on his tablet. Maya stood by the counter, arms crossed, her restless movements betraying the fear simmering beneath the surface.
• “You can’t just sit there, Rafael,” Maya said sharply, breaking the tense silence. “We need to do something.”
• “I *am* doing something,” Rafael replied without looking up. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. “I’m securing the perimeter. I’ve already called Marco to reinforce security.”