Chapter 41: The Waiting GameThe penthouse felt like a pressure cooker those next few days. Every creak of the floorboards made me jump. Every buzz from my phone sent my heart slamming against my ribs. Bella tried so hard to act normal. She cooked breakfast like nothing was wrong, read baby books curled up on the couch, even laughed at the dumb memes I showed her on my phone. But I saw the way her shoulders stayed tight, the way her hand never wandered far from her stomach, like she was always ready to shield it.We weren't alone anymore though. That became the new rule. No more quiet nights with just the two of us. The team basically moved in like roommates from hell.Marcus slept on the couch most nights, rifle within arm's reach. Lydia took over the guest room and turned it into a mini ops center, three monitors glowing all night, empty energy drink cans stacked like trophies on the desk. Then there was Rico, the new guy. Ex-Special Forces, built like a linebacker, quiet as a ghost

Chapter 43: The Safe HouseThe drive upstate was quiet except for the hum of tires on asphalt and Rico occasionally humming some old Afrobeat tune under his breath to keep things from getting too heavy. Bella sat pressed against me in the back seat, head on my shoulder, one hand resting on her stomach like she was talking to the baby without words. Marcus drove. Lydia rode shotgun, laptop open on her knees, eyes flicking between screens and the road.Nobody spoke much. There wasn’t much to say after Dragomir showed up at our door like he owned the place. The fact that he’d walked right up to the penthouse, bandaged and limping but still breathing, still smiling, still threatening our kid… it sat on all of us like wet concrete.Rico finally broke the silence about forty minutes out. “So. Flan’s still good. I wrapped it tight. We eating it cold for breakfast or what?”Bella let out a small laugh—the sound surprised even her. “Cold flan at three in the morning. Sounds perfect.”Marcus

Chapter 45: The Woman at the GateThe farmhouse had started to feel almost safe by the third day. Mornings were quiet—coffee on the porch, Bella reading baby name books in the rocking chair, Rico teaching Marcus how to make jollof rice without burning it (he failed twice, cursed in Yoruba, then tried again). Lydia spent most of her time in the converted office, screens glowing, chasing the last threads of Dragomir’s money.We were eating lunch—leftover jollof and cold flan—when the gate buzzer went off.Everyone froze.Marcus was up first, gun already in hand. “Stay here.”Lydia pulled up the security feed on her tablet. “One vehicle. Black SUV. Single occupant. No plates visible. Driver’s face is turned away from the camera.”Rico stood, hand on his knife. “Could be a delivery. Could be bait.”Bella looked at me. “We don’t open it blind.”I nodded. “Marcus, Rico—flank the gate. Lydia, keep eyes on the feed. Bella and I watch from the porch.”Marcus gave me a look. “You sure about her

Chapter 47: The Money Man's EndThe Suburban cut through the city like a black blade, headlights off until the last possible second. Marcus drove with both hands on the wheel, eyes flicking between the road and the rearview mirror. Rico sat shotgun, checking his suppressor for the third time. Nadia was in the back with me, staring out the window at the passing buildings like she was memorizing the route in case she never saw it again.No one spoke much. There wasn't time for pep talks. We had one shot at Elias Brandt tonight. One shot to cut Dragomir's last artery. One shot to make sure the baby came into a world with no more strings attached to some dead man's revenge.Lydia's voice crackled in our ears. "Brandt's alone in the penthouse. Guards just changed shift. New ones are lazy—playing cards in the living room. Elevator override is active. Service door code is still 7-4-9-1. You've got twenty-three minutes before the next patrol sweep."I checked my watch. "We go in hard. Marcus

Chapter 49: The Shadow ReturnsThe farmhouse felt too still when we got back. Dawn light was just starting to creep across the fields, turning everything gray and gold, but the quiet wasn’t peaceful anymore. It was the kind of quiet that makes your skin crawl, like the world is holding its breath waiting for something to break.Marcus killed the engine in the driveway. Nobody moved right away. We just sat there listening to the ticks of the cooling motor and the faint sound of birds waking up in the trees.Rico broke first. “Something feels off.”Marcus nodded slow. “Too quiet. No birds near the house. No wind moving the porch swing.”Lydia already had her laptop open in the back seat. “Cameras are live. No movement on the property. No heat signatures outside the house. But the gate sensor tripped twice in the last hour. Brief blips. Could be wildlife. Could be nothing.”Nadia leaned forward. “Or someone testing the perimeter. Dragomir’s p