Chapter 30 Whispers In The Laundry Room

• (POV: Isabela)
• The days following Mateo’s disturbing 'gift' of the dagger were filled with a quiet, buzzing fear. The weapon lay hidden beneath my mattress, a cold, hard secret. Was it a threat? A test? A tool? My mind circled the possibilities endlessly, finding no firm answers, only deepening my sense of confusion and dread. The trauma from the basement lingered too, vivid flashes of brutality playing behind my eyes when I least expected it, reinforcing the chilling reality of the man I was forced to marry.
• The accelerated wedding date loomed, just days away now, feeling less like a deadline and more like the edge of a cliff I was being pushed towards. My escape plan, Operation Nightingale, the plan Rena had helped me craft with such seeming enthusiasm, now felt flimsy, unreliable. The attack at the gala had thrown everything into chaos. Security was visibly tighter everywhere. Rena’s assurances about specific routes and lax security during the upcoming gala preparations suddenly seemed dangerously optimistic, perhaps even deliberately misleading. Camila’s whispered warning – Be careful who you trust… Especially those who smile too brightly – played over and over in my thoughts, louder each time. Rena’s smile was very bright indeed.