CHAPTER TWO: A NARROW ESCAPE

~ LEXI~

Alessandro Esposito moved with the confidence of a man who knew he owned the room. He was tall, his tailored suit clinging to broad shoulders, every detail immaculate. His dark hair was neatly combed back, emphasizing the sharp angles of his jawline and the cold calculation in his piercing green eyes. Those eyes locked onto me, and I felt as though he could see right through the thin layer of lies I’d wrapped around myself.

He didn’t speak at first, letting the silence stretch. The weight of his presence alone seemed to command respect—and fear. Finally, his gaze shifted to the man who had dragged me in.

“Why is she here?” Alex’s voice was low, smooth, and dangerous.

“Found her wandering near your father’s office,” the henchman replied, his grip on my arm tightening for emphasis. “Thought you’d want to—”

Alex raised a hand, and the man immediately fell silent, releasing me as though burned. I stumbled slightly, regaining my balance, but Alex’s intense gaze pinned me in place.

“Who are you?” he asked, his tone calm but laced with menace. “And why are you here?”

My mind raced. Lying to a room full of mobsters was one thing; lying to him felt impossible. There was something about the way he studied me, like he already knew the answer but was giving me the chance to dig my own grave.

“I—I’m just a guest,” I stammered, forcing a nervous laugh. “I got turned around trying to find the restroom, and—”

“You’re lying.” His interruption was as sharp as a knife. He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t belong here, do you?”

The room seemed to close in around me, the other men shifting uncomfortably under his scrutiny. Alex was in control, and everyone knew it.

My heart thundered in my chest, but I knew one thing for certain: if I told the truth, I was as good as dead. So I did the only thing I could.

I smiled.

“You’re right,” I said, my voice steadying just slightly. “I don’t belong here. I was bored, heard about the party and thought it would be fun to crash the party. I didn’t realize this wasn’t the kind of place you could… wander freely.” I kept my tone light, as though I found the situation amusing rather than terrifying.

Alex studied me for a moment longer, his eyes flicking over my face, searching for cracks in my story. Then, to my surprise, he smiled. It was faint, but it was there, a ghost of amusement playing at the corner of his mouth.

“Search her”, he instructed his men. Two men came close to me and did but they couldn’t find anything. I know I made the right choice when I attached the device to the strap of my heels rather than the phone Jack had earlier suggested.

“You’re bold,” he said, stepping even closer. “Most people in your position would already be begging for their lives.”

“Maybe I just have bad instincts,” I replied, forcing myself to hold his gaze. My pulse was pounding, but I refused to let it show. “Or maybe you’re not as scary as everyone thinks.”

The men behind him exchanged startled glances, but Alex’s smile grew, the amusement in his eyes deepening.

“Careful,” he said, his voice low and warning. “That kind of talk can get you killed.”

“Or it can get me out of here alive,” I countered, though I had no idea where I found the nerve. Maybe it was desperation. Maybe it was the faint flicker of curiosity I saw in his expression.

For a moment, the room was silent again, tension crackling in the air like a live wire. Then Alex tilted his head slightly, considering.

“Let her go,” he said finally, his voice calm but firm.

The men hesitated, clearly unsure if they’d heard him correctly.

“Now,” Alex snapped, and they scrambled to obey, stepping back and clearing the way.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, relief flooding through me even as I tried to mask it.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos in my chest. I turned toward the door, eager to escape, but Alex’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, his tone sharp and cutting. “I’ll let you leave, but if I find out you’ve lied to me, I won’t be so generous next time.”

I glanced back, meeting his eyes one last time. “Understood,” I said, and then I walked out of the room, forcing myself not to look back.

As I stepped into the hallway, my legs felt like jelly, but I kept moving, each step taking me farther from the den of vipers—and closer to the secrets I needed to uncover.

_________

The first thing I did when I got back to my apartment was lock the door and double-check the windows. My hands were still shaking, and every shadow felt like it was moving, like someone was watching me. I leaned against the door, exhaling sharply, and pressed a hand to my forehead.

I’d barely escaped the Esposito mansion, but the memory of Alessandro’s piercing green eyes lingered, burning into my thoughts. He was dangerous, too dangerous. Yet there had been something else—a flicker of intrigue, of something I couldn’t quite name.

Shaking the thought away, I moved toward my desk. The device I’d hidden in the strap of my heels felt like a lead weight in my hand. I connected it to my laptop, scrolling through the audio recording. The voices were faint but clear enough to catch key phrases: “shipment,” “checkpoints,” and “operation.”

This was it—the proof Jack needed.

I connected my phone to the laptop, transferring the file as quickly as my trembling fingers would allow. Then I picked up my burner phone, dialing the number I knew by heart.

“Lexi,” Jack’s voice came through, calm but clipped. “Did you get anything?”

“I did,” I said, pacing the small space of my living room. “They’re planning something big. Vincenzo’s voice was clear in the recording. I’ll send it over now.”

“Good,” Jack said, his tone softening just slightly. “You did well tonight. But Lexi…” He hesitated. “You need to be careful. If they figure out who you are—”

“They won’t,” I interrupted, more firmly than I felt. “I’ve got this under control.”

“Let’s hope so,” he said, and the line went dead.

I sat down, staring at the laptop as the file uploaded. The weight of what I was doing pressed against my chest, a mix of fear and determination. I’d spent years working my way into this world, building my cover, earning the trust of people I wouldn’t normally dare to be in the same room with. But now, standing this close to the Esposito’ secrets, I felt like I was balancing on a knife’s edge.

____

The next day, I grabbed my jacket and headed out, blending into the crowd of early morning commuters. The city buzzed with life, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were following me.

Paranoia, I told myself.

The thought nagged at me as I made my way to one of Santiago’s bustling markets. It was crowded, noisy, the perfect place to blend in while picking up supplies for my next move.

I was scanning a stall of fresh fruit when I felt it: a prickle at the back of my neck. Someone was watching me.

Casually, I turned, my eyes scanning the crowd.

There.

A man in a leather jacket, lingering near the edge of the market. He wasn’t looking directly at me, but his presence felt wrong. Too still. Too deliberate.

I pretended not to notice, slipping deeper into the crowd, my movements calm but purposeful. Weaving between stalls, I doubled back twice, taking a winding path through the narrow streets.

When I finally ducked into a side alley, I pressed my back against the cool brick, waiting. My hand drifted to the small knife hidden in my pocket.

Seconds passed. Then a shadow moved at the mouth of the alley.

Lost something?” I called, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me.

The man from the market stepped forward, his hands raised in mock surrender. “Easy, lady. I’m just here to talk.”

“Funny. I’m not in the mood.”

He smirked, but there was no warmth in it. “Boss sent me. He wants to know why you’ve been so… curious.

“Your boss can ask me himself,” I shot back, tightening my grip on the knife.

“Oh, he will,” the man said, his smirk widening. “But not before I bring him something useful.”

He lunged.

I dodged, the blade in my hand flashing as I struck out. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it was enough to make him stumble, clutching his side.

“Bitch,” he hissed, but I didn’t wait to hear more.

I was already running, the sound of his curses fading behind me.

If Alessandro wanted a game, he’d just raised the stakes.