Chapter 61Marco stood by the door. He hadn't said anything since he walked in. He wanted to stop Jessica's crying, but he knew that rushing to speak now could make things worse. He just watched—a person breaking down from the inside."He's going to do it, Marco," Jessica said suddenly.The sentence, spoken in a trembling voice, broke the silence of the room.Marco walked slowly over and stood in front of the sofa. "Who?"Though he already knew the answer."Rosa," Jessica said without looking up. "She's going to use the video against me."Marco was silent for a moment. The muscles in his face were tense, but he tried to keep his voice calm. "She can't do anything."Jessica laughed—a helpless, broken sound. "Do you still believe people stop?"She lowered her hands and looked up. Her eyes were red and welling with tears, yet her gaze was filled with raw fear."She knows where to post the video for me to lose everything," Jessica said. "My job, my name, my reputation—all of it."Marco sa

Chapter 63Rosa Moretti's eyes were cast downward. Her fingers were clenching involuntarily, as if trying to hold onto the fear inside her. The air in the room grew heavy. Salvatore Moretti stood before her, but for the first time, his presence failed to reassure Rosa. She had seen the change in Salvatore's eyes when he told her in a trembling voice that Carlos had been taken by a local gang, but never from so close.Salvatore's jaw clenched at the sound of Carlos's name. He said nothing for a moment. The words seemed to burn their way into him. Just as he had pushed the limits for his men in previous chapters, the violent part of him awakened again. Carlos wasn't just an employee; he was a symbol of trust.Salvatore turned slowly. His voice was unnaturally calm,"Where?"Rosa had given the address. There were no more words. Salvatore opened the door and stepped out. His footsteps echoed in the corridor. With every step, one thought echoed in his mind: no one would lay a hand on Carlo

Chapter 65The café was just behind an old government building, a place where people didn't usually come. A soft bell chimed as he pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside. The light was low, and the air was a mix of coffee and old wood. A few tables were empty, and two men in a corner spoke in hushed tones. Salvatore's eyes went straight to the man sitting at the table in the middle.Tyson.He sat up straight in his chair, his hands resting on the table. His clothes were simple, but his body language was impossible to hide. People like the police have a certain way about them, and Salvatore had learned to recognize it years ago. When Tyson looked up, their eyes met. They both understood there was no need for introductions.Salvatore walked over slowly and sat down. There was no rush in his movements, but inside, he was primed for every word. A waiter from the café came over to ask something, but Salvatore held him up with a slight raise of his hand."You're on time," Tyson said

Chapter 67The entire Messina family had gathered at the hospital. No one spoke, no one slept. Grief and anxiety seemed to be caught in their throats. On one side of the long bench sat Jessica's father, his hands laced together, his head bowed. His daughter's smiling face kept flashing before his eyes, and he wondered how everything could go so wrong in just one day. A few meters away, some people paced—unable to contain their restlessness. Others prayed silently, their lips moving but no sound coming out.The team of on-duty doctors was constantly coming in and out. Medications were changed, doses were increased, new injections were administered. But Jessica's body seemed unwilling to respond. At one point, the lines on the monitor screen were fluctuating erratically—impossible to hold onto, yet everyone stared, as if watching intently would change something."She's not responding," a nurse said in a low voice, her eyes flicking for a moment to Jessica's father. There was a pain in t

Chapter 69Isabel's crying wasn't just sound; it felt like it was soaking the walls of the room. Seeing her face, my own breath caught—a dark blue bruise on her cheek, dried blood at the corner of her lip, puffiness under her eyes, and a small tear in the skin above her forehead. The air in the room felt uncomfortably stale. The curtains were half-open and it was light outside, yet the inside felt dark and oppressive. Every time she moved, the wounds on her face stung. The moment she touched her cheek, she winced in pain. It felt like it was burning—as if fire had been set inside her skin. Isabel's head was spinning, but she forced herself to stay standing, because if she didn't, she felt like she would completely fall apart.She moved toward the door. For a moment, she thought—maybe there was a mistake, maybe the door would be open. But when she touched the handle, the cold metal made her body shiver. She turned it, pulled—the door didn't budge. She pulled harder, her fingers tremb