Alvaro's phone buzzed with the emergency alert at exactly 11:47 PM. The panic button—one mercenary still conscious enough to trigger it before succumbing to whatever technique had dropped the others.ATTACKER IN BUILDING. FLOOR 4. URGENT.Alvaro was out of his home office before the message finished displaying, already shouting orders to his personal security detail."Get the car! Now! And call Martinez—tell him to bring his team to Saint Catherine's immediately!""Sir, shouldn't we contact the police—" one guard started."NO POLICE!" Alvaro's roar echoed through his mansion. "I don't want this bastard arrested! I want him dead! You understand? DEAD!"Five additional mercenaries—Martinez's elite unit, men who'd worked black ops overseas—were mobilized within minutes. They met Alvaro's convoy three blocks from the hospital, heavily armed despite the risk of being spotted."Senator, if we go in this hot—" Martinez began."I don't care about optics or consequences!" Alvaro cut him off. "

Alvaro burst through his son's hospital room door, his heart pounding with dread. The sight that greeted him confirmed his worst fears—Henandez laid out on the floor, eyes open and lifeless, the vibrant young man reduced to a corpse.But worse than finding his son dead was finding the killer still there.Alejandro stood by the window, silhouetted against the city lights, calm and composed as if he'd just completed a routine task."YOU!" Alvaro's scream was raw, primal. "YOU KILLED MY SON!""Yes." Alejandro's voice was flat, emotionless. "I did.""MARTINEZ! GET IN HERE! KILL THIS BASTARD!"The five mercenaries rushed through the door, weapons raised, faces grim with professional determination. They'd seen what one man had done to ten of their colleagues. They weren't underestimating this opponent."Surround him!" Martinez commanded. "Don't let him—"Alejandro moved.The fight was brutal and efficient. These mercenaries were better than the first wave—faster, more coordinated, adapting

The announcement of Diego and Esperanza's honeymoon had been inevitable. When the daughter of Ricardo Vega married, it wasn't something that could be kept quiet—too many media connections, too much public interest, too much wealth on display."Esperanza Vega and Diego Herrera to Honeymoon at Exclusive Continental Villa" the headlines read, complete with photos of the luxury mountain resort and speculation about how much the week-long stay cost.Alejandro saw the news while recovering from his injuries in one of Vasquez's safe houses. His ribs were taped, his cuts bandaged, but his mind was sharp and focused."Continental Villa," he muttered, pulling up information on his phone. "Mountain resort. Private. Exclusive. Security will be tight."He made a call to the only person who could help him with what he was planning."Santiago. I need something from you.""After the hospital massacre?" Santiago's voice was disapproving. "Lucia told me what you did. Sixteen bodies, Alejandro. That was

Esperanza floated on her back in the crystal-clear pool, letting the mountain water wash away the stress of the past weeks. No meetings, no contracts, no decisions requiring her attention. Just silence, sunlight, and the gentle ripple of water.This was freedom.She'd dismissed most of her security detail for the afternoon—kept them stationed at the pool entrance but out of sight. The constant presence of guards made relaxation impossible, and here, in this private resort, she wanted to pretend she was just a normal woman enjoying her honeymoon.After thirty minutes of swimming, she realized Diego still hadn't joined her. Probably still on edge, she thought with a mixture of affection and frustration. The man couldn't relax even when they were hundreds of miles from the city.Esperanza swam to the ladder and began climbing out, water streaming from her swimsuit.A figure approached—pool maintenance uniform, carrying cleaning supplies. She barely glanced at him."Let me help you, ma'am

Diego's fist was a millisecond from delivering the killing blow—fingers positioned perfectly to stop Alejandro's heart with a single precise strike—when movement in his peripheral vision made his blood freeze.Esperanza's unconscious body tilting sideways, falling toward the pool.Time seemed to slow as she hit the water, her limp form immediately sinking like a stone, no reflexive movements to keep her afloat."NO!" Diego's roar of rage and frustration tore from his throat.He abandoned Alejandro completely, spinning and diving into the pool in one fluid motion. The water closed over his head, and immediately he felt it.Wrong. Everything about the water was wrong.Negative energy so dense it was almost physical—a malevolent presence that pressed against his consciousness, trying to disorient him, to make him lose focus and direction.The cursed poison. Even diluted in thousands of gallons of water, it was potent enough to affect him.Diego shook off the disorientation through sheer