Dino stared at the grainy image of his mother—bound, unconscious, and in Sanchez’s grasp—and stood motionless. The tension in the room was suffocating, but inside Dino, a deadly calm settled.Elena clutched his arm. “We have to move. Now.”Tomas crossed his arms. “Sanchez is baiting you. If you walk into this without a plan, you’re dead.”Dino nodded slowly. Sanchez wanted him desperate. Reckless.But Dino wasn’t Alejandro. He wouldn’t charge in like a madman. He would play this carefully.Dino turned to Tomas. “We need intel. Where is he holding her?”Tomas exhaled sharply. “I’ll put my contacts on it.”Elena’s voice was firm. “I want in.”Dino met her gaze. She had fire in her eyes. Determination. But this wasn’t her fight.“Elena—”“I’m not staying behind.” Her voice was steel. “Sanchez took everything from me too. Let me help.”Dino studied her. She wasn’t afraid. She was ready.Finally, he gave a slow nod. “Alright. But we do this my way.”Tomas’ phone buzzed. He glanced at the s

Dino sat in silence, his muscles taut, his mind a storm of thoughts. Across from him, his mother clutched her hands together, her face pale in the dim glow of the overhead light. The black SUV sped through the darkened streets, the city lights flickering like distant stars.Tomas drove in tense silence, scanning the rearview mirror for signs of pursuit. Alejandro had been left behind, but he wouldn’t stay down for long.Dino’s shoulder burned where Alejandro’s knife had grazed him. He pressed his fingers to the wound. It wasn’t deep, but it stung. More than that, it served as a reminder—this was no longer a rivalry. It was war.His mother shifted beside him, her hands trembling. Her dark eyes, so much like his own, were filled with something he had never seen before—grief.“Dino…” She exhaled shakily.He turned to her, expecting relief. Instead, he saw sorrow.She swallowed hard, her voice thick with emotion. “I never wanted this for you.”Dino frowned. “You didn’t want to be rescued?

Pacing the length of his office, Dino's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. Isabella, sat on the leather couch nearby, her hands wringing together in silent distress. He could feel her gaze on him, filled with worry, but he couldn't stop moving. Elena was out there, in Alejandro’s hands.His phone rang.Unknown Number.Dino snatched it up, pressing the device to his ear. “Who is this?”A slow, mocking chuckle slithered through the line.Alejandro.“Dino, Dino, Dino… You really should’ve known better.”Dino’s fingers tightened around the phone until it nearly cracked. “Where is she?”Alejandro sighed dramatically. “You always go straight to the threats. No pleasantries? No ‘hello, dear brother’?”Dino clenched his jaw, his blood boiling with barely restrained fury. This wasn’t the time for games.“I swear, if you touch her—”“You’ll do what?” Alejandro sneered. “You’re too late, Dino. She’s already mine.”A rustling sound. Then a voice. Weak. Pained.“Dino…”Elena.Din

A Premonition of BloodThe explosion echoed through the warehouse, shaking the ground. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling, and smoke curled into the air like an omen of death.Dino didn’t flinch. He moved faster.He could hear panicked voices from the guards scrambling to respond, but he wasn’t concerned about them. His focus was only on one person—Alejandro.But something felt off.A whisper of intuition, honed from years of training, tightened in Dino’s chest. Alejandro was too calculated to be caught off guard.This was too easy.Dino gritted his teeth. “It’s a trap.”Elena’s Desperate GambleInside the dimly lit room, Elena clenched her fists behind her back, fighting the tight ropes biting into her wrists.Alejandro was still watching the door, gun in hand, a dark anticipation in his eyes.That was her opening.With one sharp inhale, she yanked her chair forward, using all her strength to tip it.The heavy wooden frame crashed sideways, sending her sprawling to the floor—jus

Seconds from DeathThe warehouse groaned like a dying beast, its structure collapsing in a violent symphony of fire and steel.Dino lunged forward, instincts overtaking pain as he reached for Elena. A massive beam came crashing down, missing them by inches as the floor trembled beneath them. Flames roared around them, licking at his back, the heat searing his skin through his shirt.Elena gasped, coughing weakly as the acrid smoke filled her lungs. She barely had the strength to move, her body limp against his.Dino gritted his teeth. Not here. Not now.Hoisting her into his arms, he forced himself to stand despite the weight pressing down on him—the weight of exhaustion, pain, and the undeniable truth that this place was turning into a tomb.Through the smoke and fire, he could barely make out Alejandro’s figure in the distance, trapped between falling debris.Their eyes met.For a brief moment, time seemed to slow.Alejandro’s lips curled in a defiant smirk, blood dripping from a ga