CHAPTER 15

The following day, the safe house was cloaked in an unsettling quiet, as though the world outside didn’t exist. Fiona awoke to the sound of birds chirping faintly beyond the high walls, a stark contrast to the chaos that had engulfed her life. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine what normalcy might feel like—a life free from fear, secrets, and the weight of Darwin Solomon’s world.

But reality intruded swiftly.

She found Darwin in the kitchen, poring over documents spread across the granite countertop. His brow furrowed as his fingers tapped absently on the table. He looked like a man on the brink of war—focused, calculating, and deadly.

“Morning,” she said, her voice breaking the silence.

Darwin glanced up, his expression softening ever so slightly. “Morning. Did you sleep?”

“Not much,” Fiona admitted, pouring herself a glass of water. “It’s hard to rest when you’re wondering what’s going to happen next.”

Darwin nodded. “We’ll make our move soon. I just need to finish tying up a few loose ends.”

“What kind of loose ends?” Fiona asked, her curiosity piqued.

Darwin hesitated, as though debating how much to reveal. “William’s been using shell companies to funnel money into shady deals. I have someone tracking the transactions. If we can prove he’s been laundering money, it’ll give us leverage.”

Fiona’s stomach churned. “Do you think that’s enough to stop him?”

“It’s a start,” Darwin said grimly. “But William’s not the type to crumble just because we’ve exposed him. He’ll fight back, and he won’t play fair.”

Fiona nodded, a sense of foreboding settling over her. She wanted to believe Darwin had everything under control, but William Newton was a force of chaos she wasn’t sure anyone could contain.

As the hours passed, Fiona busied herself exploring the safe house. The sterile design left little to discover, but she found solace in the small garden tucked behind the property. It was a modest space, filled with neatly trimmed hedges and a single stone bench. She sat there for a while, letting the stillness calm her racing thoughts.

She was startled when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Darwin had replaced it with a new device that morning, stripped of any vulnerabilities. She pulled it out, expecting to see a message from him or Thalassa. Instead, an unknown number flashed on the screen.

Her heart skipped a beat as she hesitated. It could be anyone—another one of William’s threats or, worse, a trap. But something compelled her to answer.

“Hello?” she said cautiously.

“Fiona.” The voice on the other end sent a chill down her spine. It was Bella Robbins.

“What do you want?” Fiona demanded, gripping the phone tightly.

“I wanted to warn you,” Bella said, her tone laced with false sympathy. “You’re in over your head. Darwin thinks he can protect you, but William always gets what he wants.”

Fiona’s breath hitched. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, he’s already one step ahead of you,” Bella said smugly. “The safe house? It’s compromised. William knows exactly where you are.”

Fiona’s blood ran cold. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” Bella taunted. “You think Darwin is untouchable, but he’s not. And you? You’re just collateral damage in a game far bigger than you realize.”

The line went dead before Fiona could respond. She stared at the phone, her heart pounding in her chest. Was Bella bluffing? Or had William truly found them?

Fiona didn’t have time to dwell on the question. She sprinted back into the house, her panic evident as she burst into the kitchen.

“Darwin!” she called, her voice trembling.

He looked up sharply, sensing the urgency in her tone. “What’s wrong?”

“Bella just called me,” Fiona said, her words tumbling out in a rush. “She said William knows where we are. The safe house is compromised.”

Darwin’s expression darkened, and he immediately grabbed his phone. “Stay here,” he ordered, heading toward the security room.

Fiona followed, unable to sit idly by. She watched as Darwin checked the camera feeds and activated a series of defensive measures. The house seemed impenetrable, but the tension in Darwin’s posture told her he wasn’t taking any chances.

“If Bella’s telling the truth, we don’t have much time,” he said, his voice low. “Pack a bag. We’re leaving.”

“Leaving? Where will we go?” Fiona asked, fear creeping into her voice.

“Somewhere they can’t follow,” Darwin said firmly. “I have a backup plan.”

Within an hour, they were on the move. Darwin drove in silence, his jaw clenched and his eyes scanning the road for any signs of danger. Fiona sat beside him, her mind racing with questions she didn’t dare ask. She could feel the weight of his tension, and it only made her own anxiety worse.

As they neared the outskirts of Bay City, Darwin pulled off the main road and onto a narrow, winding path. The dense forest swallowed them, and Fiona couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Every shadow seemed to shift, every rustle in the trees a potential threat.

“Where are we going?” she finally asked, breaking the silence.

“There’s a private airstrip not far from here,” Darwin said. “I have a plane waiting to take us out of the city.”

Fiona’s heart sank. “You think we need to leave Bay City?”

Darwin glanced at her, his expression softening for a moment. “It’s the only way to keep you safe.”

She nodded, her mind reeling. Leaving the city meant abandoning everything she had built—her work, her friends, her life. But what choice did she have?

They arrived at the airstrip just as dusk began to fall. The small, private jet sat waiting on the tarmac, its engines humming softly. Darwin led Fiona toward the plane, his hand resting lightly on her back.

As they approached, a sudden noise shattered the stillness. Fiona froze, her eyes darting toward the source of the sound. In the distance, headlights pierced the darkness, growing closer with alarming speed.

“Get on the plane!” Darwin barked, pulling a gun from his jacket.

Fiona hesitated, fear rooting her to the spot. “Darwin—”

“Go!” he shouted, his voice leaving no room for argument.

She turned and ran, her heart pounding as she climbed the steps to the plane. Inside, she found the pilot waiting, his expression tense.

“Take off as soon as he’s on board,” Fiona said, her voice shaking.

The pilot nodded, but neither of them moved. Outside, Darwin stood his ground, the gun steady in his hands as the approaching car screeched to a halt.

Fiona watched through the window, her breath catching as two men stepped out of the car. They were armed, their intentions clear. Her heart sank as she recognized one of them—it was one of William’s enforcers.

Darwin didn’t flinch as the men approached, their guns drawn. Fiona could only watch in helpless terror as the standoff unfolded, her worst fears coming to life before her eyes.

And then, a single gunshot rang out, shattering the night