Diego didn't leave because Santiago had ordered him to—he left because staying would put Esperanza in mortal danger. The Devil's Hand was still agitated, still leaking dark energy despite his attempts to contain it. Every second he remained near her was another second the curse could strike, could flood her system with corruption that might be impossible to remove.He threw himself into his car, his ruined glove smoking on the passenger seat where he'd discarded it. His bare left hand pulsed with dark energy, veins of shadow running from his fingertips to his elbow like poisoned rivers.Gael would know what to do. Gael had studied curses and dark magic for decades. If anyone could help Diego regain control before the Devil's Hand killed someone he loved, it was him.Diego peeled out of the Vega estate like a bat out of hell, his car's engine screaming as he pushed it to dangerous speeds. The roads were mostly empty at this hour, which was fortunate because Diego was in no condition to

Santiago waited until nightfall before slipping out of the Vega estate, making sure Esperanza didn't see him leave. His sister would never understand. She'd never accept that what he and Isabella had was real, that the baby was his, that love sometimes required fighting against those who tried to tear it apart.He drove to the modest apartment where Isabella was staying, his heart pounding with a mixture of guilt and anticipation. He needed to make things right. Needed to explain why he'd fired her, why he'd ignored her calls, why he'd seemed to abandon her when she needed him most.Isabella answered the door on the second knock, her face carefully composed into vulnerable surprise. "Santiago? What are you doing here?""I needed to see you," he said, stepping inside without invitation. "To explain everything. To tell you the truth about what happened."She closed the door behind him, her expression shifting to cautious hope. "The truth? You mean about why you fired me? Why you wouldn'

Diego's consciousness returned slowly, dragged up from darkness by the throbbing pain in his head and the uncomfortable pressure of restraints cutting into his wrists. His eyes cracked open to find himself in what looked like an abandoned warehouse, though this one had been converted into something else entirely.Occult symbols covered the walls—circles within circles, geometric patterns that hurt to look at directly, words in languages Diego didn't recognize. Candles burned in strategic positions, their flames casting dancing shadows across the concrete floor. And in the center of it all, a chair. The chair Diego was currently bound to."Ah, you're awake," a cultured voice said from the shadows. "Excellent. I was beginning to worry the crash had caused more damage than intended."A man stepped into the candlelight—mid-fifties, dressed in expensive robes that were somehow both ridiculous and unsettling. His hair was silver, swept back from a face marked with tattoos that matched the s

The doorbell rang at the Vega estate just after sunset. Esperanza, still shaken from her argument with Santiago and desperately worried about Diego's whereabouts, wheeled herself to answer it before the household staff could respond.Two police officers stood on the doorstep, their expressions professionally neutral in that way that meant bad news was coming."Mrs. Herrera?" the older officer asked. "We're sorry to disturb you, but we need to speak with you about a vehicle registered in your name."Esperanza's heart dropped. "What vehicle? What happened?""A black sedan, license plate ending in 4-7-3," the officer consulted his notes. "It was involved in a serious accident earlier this evening. T-bone collision followed by the vehicle leaving the roadway and tumbling down an embankment. The car caught fire and was completely destroyed.""Diego," Esperanza whispered, her hands gripping the wheelchair armrests until her knuckles went white. "My husband drives that car. Was he... did you

Diego stared at Severus, at the madness gleaming in the occultist's eyes, and made one final attempt to reach whatever shred of reason might remain in the man's corrupted mind."You don't know what you're dealing with," Diego said, his voice carrying the weight of bitter experience. "I'm a seasoned healer. I've spent years studying medicine, curses, supernatural afflictions. I've treated hundreds of patients with conditions that would baffle conventional doctors. And even I lost to the Hand of the Devil."He leaned forward as much as his restraints allowed, his eyes boring into Severus. "This curse consumed me. Changed me. Turned me into something darker than I ever wanted to be. And you—an amateur fanatic playing with powers you read about in dusty books—you think you can control it? The result will be catastrophic. Not just for you. For everyone around you."Severus's smile never wavered. "Your concern is touching but misplaced. I'm not like you, Diego. You fought the darkness. Resi