CHAPTER 37

Sofia awoke to the faint light of dawn creeping through the small window in her room, her body still aching but no longer burning with the searing pain from the capsule. The remnants of the drug lingered in her veins, leaving her weak, but she felt stronger than the night before. The haze that had clouded her mind had lifted, replaced by a sharp awareness of her surroundings.

She shifted slightly in bed, her movements slow and deliberate. Her muscles protested with every effort, but she managed to sit up. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed Alex sitting at the foot of her bed, slumped in a chair, his head resting against the wall. He must have stayed the entire night, she thought, her gaze softening for a brief moment.

The exhaustion on his face was clear, even in his sleep. She didn’t want to wake him, but there were matters to attend to. They had lost precious time, and now they needed to prepare. Don Russo wasn’t going to wait for them to recover.

With a quiet sigh,