THE UNEXPECTED VISIT The Stone's Apartment “Where are you going, Lisa?” Mrs. Stone asked as she opened the door without waiting.Lisa was standing in front of her mirror and for a second, she didn’t turn. She just kept looking at her reflection, then slowly, she smiled.“Just to see an old friend,” she said, her voice light.Mrs. Stone stood by the door, watching her.Lisa finally turned slightly, just enough for her mother to see her properly. She was dressed differently today, not like she usually did.She wore a fitted black dress that hugged her body perfectly, stopping just above her knees, but it wasn’t too loud. It was the kind of dress that made people look twice without knowing why.Her heels were slim and high, matching the same dark tone and they clicked softly against the floor when she moved.Her hair was neatly styled, falling over her shoulders in smooth waves and her makeup was light.

THE PAST COMES BACKLisa used those five minutes well, her gaze on him.Manuel had expected many things when he told her to speak. He expected tears, expected guilt and some emotional speech about the past, because that was what he knew from her.That was the Lisa he remembered, but the woman standing in front of him now felt different.She didn’t didn't do any of the things he expected. Instead, she stood there like someone who had already accepted the past and like someone who had stopped fighting what could not be changed.Her hands rested lightly on the edge of the table, her voice calm.“I didn’t come to get you back,” she said.That line alone changed the atmosphere.Manuel’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Lisa saw it, because she had been watching him from the second she walked in.There was a bit of silence between them, then Manuel leaned back slowly in his chair as his eyes stayed on her, still trying to see where this was going.Lisa looked at him still, then she continued. “I

TAMING THE MAFIALaura's chest tightened again, but this time she knew he was up to something as well and truly, he was going to play her game.She stared straight at him, her eyes steady. “Then I’m coming with you.”THE STONE'S APARTMENTBack at home, Lisa wasn't calm, the moment she stepped into the house, something in her shifted.Everything around her felt the same, but inside her, she didn't feel the same.She didn’t stop to greet anyone and didn’t look toward the sitting room, she walked straight to the stairs.Her heels struck each step with echoing sounds as she climbed. Her face was tight and her jaw clenched.By the time she reached her door, her fingers were already on the handle, she pushed it open, stepped in and immediately shut it behind her.Then, she locked it as the click sounded louder than it should have. For a moment, she just stood there, her back pressed lightly against the door and her eyes closed, like she was trying to hold herself together.Everything she ha

A STRANGE MANThe man stood, wearing a bold smile, his hand stretched out a bit.Manuel looked at him and scoffed, the document still in his hand, his eyes fixed on the man. He wanted to understand what kind of person walks up like this and talks like that.Across the table, Lisa sat quietly and didn’t interrupt and for a moment, it looked as though everything was going according to her plan.Manuel’s grip on the document tightened slightly, but his face didn’t show it. He stayed standing.“Who sent you?” Manuel asked, his voice low.The man didn’t answer immediately, he didn’t look offended, he just adjusted his suit slightly, like he had all the time in the world, then he looked at Manuel and then smiled.“I expected that question,” he said, his voice smooth.Manuel didn’t respond, but his eyes didn’t leave him.The man took a step closer and stopped.“I’m not here to waste your time,” he continue

THE MISSING PIECE Immediately, Laura exchanged glances with Manuel and shifted back a bit, tapping her hands slowly on the table.Manuel looked at the man again, then his attention shifted back to the document on the table.He picked it up again, flipping through the pages, more slowly this time. His eyes moved carefully across the document, scanning each line. At first, nothing seemed out of place, then he paused.Something felt wrong.His brows pulled together slightly as his fingers stopped turning the page. He went back, checking again.Suddenly, he saw that a few pages were missing. Not just one or two random sheets, but important ones, sections that should have connected everything. The key information was gone, removed so cleanly it almost looked intentional, like those pages had never existed at all and it looked as though they wanted to fool him.Manuel’s jaw tightened and slowly, he lifted