Chapter 172

• Lucia's POV
• The new safehouse smelled like damp wood and old coffee, a creaky shack tucked deep in the woods. Victor’s last words.. “Broker not over… heir waits”.. clawed at me, keeping sleep miles away. I hunched over Ryan’s laptop, its glow burning my eyes, digging through Victor’s old files. Encrypted messages popped up, coded junk about a “successor” trained in secret. My heart raced, fingers shaking as I clicked deeper. Who the hell was this heir? Ryan, pale and sweating from his leg wound, slept fitful on the couch, Mateo curled up beside him. Sofia and Elena whispered in the next room, their voices low. Outside, the night felt too quiet, like it was holding its breath. Then I heard it.. Harrow’s radio crackling faint through the trees. My gut screamed trap, and I froze, glancing at the door. We’d barely made it here, and now this? No way we were safe.
• The laptop pinged, a file unlocking. Words like “protégé” and “loyalty” jumped out, twisting my stomach. I slammed my fist on the table, waking Ryan. “What’s up?” he mumbled, wincing as he sat up. “Victor trained someone,” I said, voice tight. “An heir, Ryan. He planned this.” Elena shuffled in, her face gray, eyes avoiding mine. “Lucia… I knew about it,” she admitted, voice barely a whisper. My blood boiled. “You knew? And hid it?” I stood, chair scraping loud. “Why, Mom? After everything?” Her shoulders sagged, guilt written all over her. “Thought it’d tear us apart… wanted you safe.” Safe? I laughed, bitter. “Look at us! Hunted, bleeding, scared!” Sofia peeked in, eyes wide, catching every word. I softened, but the anger burned. Elena’s secrets kept breaking us, and I was done trusting blind.