Chapter 45

• The air was thick with smoke and tension as Rafael stormed through the compound, his gun at the ready. The battle against Matteo’s forces had finally reached its boiling point, but something was off. The guards on patrol weren’t engaging Matteo’s men—they seemed to hesitate, their allegiance wavering.
• Rafael’s jaw clenched as he realized what was happening. Victor’s grip on his men was slipping, and Matteo’s escape had ignited chaos. And amid that chaos, Maya and the children were at risk.
• “Marco!” Rafael shouted as he approached the command center. His trusted ally emerged from behind a barricade, wiping blood from a cut on his brow.