Chapter 49:A RACE AGAINST TIME

The moment Mikey was pulled from Rachel’s grasp and into the arms of her henchman, my heart raced with hope and fear. Every second felt like an eternity. I had played my cards carefully, but I was still operating on blind faith—the docks, the message, the looming uncertainty. Was I making the right call, or leading myself straight into another of Rachel’s traps?

As Mikey was led out of the warehouse, I kept my eyes glued to him. His small body slumped in exhaustion, his clothes tattered and dirty, but at least he was walking. He was alive.

"Now, Emily, the contract," Rachel’s cold voice snapped me back to the present.

I held the pen in my hand, feeling the weight of the paper beneath it. My mind screamed at me to stall, to keep her focused just a few minutes longer. I couldn’t sign over everything—not now, not after I had come this far. The message in my pocket was a lifeline, a chance I couldn’t ignore.

"Oliver," I called quietly, barely daring to glance his way, "we have to move n