As soon as the gunshot went off, the people in the bar scattered and some were even trampled as the crowd tried to run away to safety. Leonardo and Ricardo ducked under the bar and reached for their guns. “Who do you think these people are?”, Leonardo asked. “I have no idea. It could be a drug deal gone wrong”, Ricardo said. The next gunshot blew up the vase very close to them. “Still think they are not after us?”, Leonardo asked. Ricardo shook his head. Leonardo smirked. He had been dying for some actions. Finally. He stood up from his hiding place with two guns in his hands and began shooting the attackers, alongside his soldiers. “Don’t have all the fun without me”, Ricardo said as he came out with guns blazing. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Arya turned to Isabel. “Did you hear that?”, she asked. Isabel nodded. “We have to go”, she said and ran way too fast for someone her age. They got to the room and saw two men trying to pul
They drove into Ricardo’s penthouse and rung for the nurse. The Spanish Don had gotten hit by a bullet in his arm. It was a graze, but deep enough for him to loose a significant amount of blood. The nurse, a middle age woman, entered the room and proceeded to treat his wound. Leonardo took that time to call Rob and gave him directions to come to the penthouse with a handful of soldiers. Ricardo had said the penthouse was completely safe as no one knew he owned it and he got it under a different name but he couldn’t be too sure. Especially with Arya on her way to him. He check her location and sighed in relief when he saw she was very close. The fact that she was driving herself was making him crazy but it was the only way for her to sneak out discreetly. He went back to the living room and saw Ricardo’s wound was already bandaged and he was no longer wearing his shirt. “Is it anything to be worried about?”, Ricardo asked the nurse. “Not at all. Just take your drugs at
“What the fuck do you mean?”, Ricardo asked. “We both know the guy we are after works for your father. Was it him who sent Maria after us?”, Rob asked. “Oh, hell no! I hate that man more than I love myself. I would never help him. I know he has plans set in motion to kill me”, Ricardo replied. “So it’s a coincidence that the guy we’re after works for your father?”, Leonardo asked. “I don’t even know who this guy is. What do you know about him? Maybe I can help”, Ricardo said. “You already helped by snitching on your father. But it also means you can’t be trusted”, Leonardo said. “Whatever the price is for killing my father, I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes to convince you I’m on your side”, Ricardo said, running his good hand through his hair. “Wait, what do you mean your father has set plans in motions to kill you?”, Arya asked. “Exactly how it sounds. His plans involve killing me. I only found out some weeks back. If things go exactly how he planned, I should
Arya arrived at the convent, her car gliding silently into a shadowed corner. As the vehicle came to a stop, her decoy and entourage approached in a coordinated movement. With practiced efficiency, they swiftly exchanged places, switching cars with an air of quiet urgency. Within moments, Arya was discreetly ushered into the building, the switch seamless and undetected. She walked to Gloria’s room to see her peacefully asleep so she decided to find Mother Superior and speak to her. As she walked to the office, she heard muffled sounds. There was no one in sight so wondered where was the sound coming from. She looked at her watch to see it was currently 9pm. “Fuck! I lost track of time. I guess it’s too late to meet up now”, she said and turned around to go to her room. “Order!”, she heard a fierce feminine voice shout, even though it was still muffled. She leaned into the wall to hear more. If only they could just shout again, one more time. “The Order -“, the voice start
Arya decided to play it cool but it was nerve wracking. She had suspected that one of her spare keys had gone missing a few days ago but she shrugged it off. She initially had three keys but she could only find two. And now, she found out someone planted a camera in her room. It was not the reason behind it that worried her, it was figuring out who did it. They had so many enemies and frenemies, it was hard to keep up. She was thankful she found out about it before taking her clothes off last night. The watcher would have had a tape to blackmail her. What could the watcher want? She could barely sleep all night with the thought of some stranger watching her in her bed. She had texted Leonardo immediately she found she he told her to leave it be. If she removed it, the suspect could try to do something worse and they had to figure out who it was first. As soon as the sun came up, she freshened up in the bathroom and left her room to look for the Mother superior. Getting t
“Who are you?”, she asked. “Just keep quiet and come with me. If you even think about screaming I’ll blow your head off”, he said and pointed a gun at her. Arya looked around but there was no one in sight. The man chuckled. “Don’t worry about getting help. All the sisters are in the hall for prayers. They can’t hear you from up here so move, slut. And put your hands up”, he said with a grin. She raised her hands and did as he instructed. “Yeah, that’s some nice ass. Trust me, the thought of what I’m going to do to you is keeping you alive for a while”, he laughed. Arya grimaced in disgust. “Who is your boss?”, she asked, moving down the stairs. “What do you need that information for? Don’t worry, he might have his turn with you too”, the sick bastard said. She had had just about enough. She caught his reflection from the glass window. His phone rang and he searched his pockets for it, taking his eyes off her. In a split second, she turned and kicked the gun out of
Arya handed her phone over to Leonardo to look at the pictures of the documents. “What does The Order of the Seraphim stands for? And why was it on Isabel’s desk?”, she asked. “Whoever is behind this is far from ordinary,” Leonardo said. “Each page is written in a different style. The first few pages use Latin Cipher, the next are in Old Church Latin, the third in cryptic abbreviations, the fourth is in Reverse Script, and the fifth section employs a Simple Substitution Cipher.” The others in the room exchanged surprised glances, clearly impressed. “How did you decipher them?” Rob asked. “I had a lot of free time in my grandfather’s cell and a lot of books”, Leonardo said. Arya winced at the remembrance of his childhood. “Can you translate this?”, Arya asked. “I can try but it will take a long time to do that. I’ll involve my tech team, they would help fasten the process”, he responded. “I’ll send the copies over”, Rob said and walked away to concentrate on his work.
Lima walked into his office, disregarding the secretary. “I’ll call security, ma’m. You can’t go in just like that”, the secretary ran after her. She could not give two shits. He was apparently in a meeting with two men she couldn’t recognize. They didn’t look like distinguished men so she went ahead with her plan. Not like she cared about their status anyways. “Lima, what are you doing here?”, he asked. “You’re so stupid for asking me that, Manuel. How dare you lay your filthy hands on Pablo? If you have an issue with me then say it to my face, fight me. Don’t involve my family”, she shouted. Manuel excused the men from the room. “Lima, how dare you barge into my office and wrongly accuse me?”, he asked as soon as the men left his office. “Just don’t get surprised when I strike back, Manuel. You’re the only person I have an issue with, stop screwing with my family. I might just come back for yours”, she said. Manuel laughed. “I don’t even care ab
Isabel cradled the baby close, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten as the infant’s soft cries filled the room. Her daughter. She traced the baby’s tiny features with trembling fingers—her button nose, her soft cheeks, and the tiniest fingers she had ever seen. A fierce protectiveness gripped her heart, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. But the moment of tenderness was fleeting. The cold, harsh reality of her situation came crashing down on her. She had no home, no job, and no way to provide for herself, let alone a newborn. The room reeked of decay and dampness, its peeling walls and rat-infested corners a far cry from the safe haven a child deserved. The baby’s cries grew louder, piercing through Isabel’s haze of despair. “Shh, shh, I’m here,” she whispered, rocking her gently. But the cries didn’t stop, and Isabel realized with a sinking feeling that the baby was hungry. She looked around the room, her heart racing. There was no milk, no clean water—nothing. Panic cla
Arya gasped, her eyes wide with shock. “You got impregnated by your mother’s boyfriend?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Isabel nodded solemnly. “I did. I did all I could as a pregnant teenager with no home. I wish I’d known about the convent back then—it would have made my life so much easier. With little to no source of income or support, I was miserable and alone in the trenches of this town after I had to leave the old one. I won’t bore you with all the details. But when I was in labor, I had to make some difficult decisions.” FLASHBACK Isabel sat in the corner of her dimly lit room, chewing on the last bit of food she’d managed to scavenge. Her stomach cramped painfully, but she wasn’t sure if it was from hunger or something worse. It had been four days since her last meal, and her body was weak, her limbs trembling with every small movement. The cramps intensified, radiating through her body, and a wave of nausea swept over her. She pressed her hands again
“By the time I turned sixteen, much had changed in my life, though little for the better. I was the scorn of the town, whispers trailing me wherever I went. It wasn’t just the shame of my past that followed me like a shadow; it was the doors that slammed shut in my face, the jobs that paid me barely half of what they should, the side-eyes from those who thought they knew my story. And then there was Mama’s boyfriend, Stanley, who moved into our already-cramped home.” FLASHBACK Isabel stumbled into the house after a long, grueling day of work. The sun had long since set, and her body ached with exhaustion. She immediately headed to the kitchen, her stomach growling in protest, but her heart sank when she found the pans empty. She had prepared the food earlier that morning before leaving, but as usual, there was nothing left for her. Not a scrap. Her younger siblings, Amanda and Jacob, had already gone out for their own work, leaving the house silent save for the faint rustling
Arya burst into the room, emotions swirling in a storm of frustration. Leonardo, shirtless and in sweatpants, lay on the bed with his laptop, his brows furrowed in deep concentration. When he looked up and saw her, his expression immediately softened. “What’s wrong, babe?” he asked, concern evident in his voice. “Fuck! I’m so tired of all of this! When does it actually end?” Arya's voice was thick with anger and despair as she shouted, letting out everything she had bottled up inside. Leonardo remained quiet, letting her vent, and placed a gentle hand on her back for support, feeling the tension in her shoulders. “We can talk about it when you're ready,” he said quietly, his voice calm and steady. She took a shaky breath, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Isabel said she’s my grandmother,” she blurted out. He froze, stunned by her revelation. It explained so much—Isabel’s secretive behavior, her willingness to help them even at great personal risk. “How do you fe
Arya walked into the Mayor’s office, her mind still swirling with thoughts of her time at the convent, which had ended permanently. Henry had called her the day before, insisting that someone come to the Townhouse to collect a certificate for her volunteer service. She had kindly turned him down, but Henry was insistent, not taking no for an answer. Arya found herself wondering where this sudden niceness was coming from. She didn’t trust a single soul in this town, not even after everything she’d done to protect herself, including running a secret background check on Ricardo—though he would never find out about that. “Ah, Dona, welcome to my office,” the Mayor greeted, his voice oozing charm as his secretary led her into the room. Across from him sat Isabel and one of the council members, Frederick. Arya couldn’t bring herself to look at Isabel, her gaze fixed firmly on Henry instead. “Thank you for having me,” Arya said, offering a smile that barely touched her lips. Henr
She took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. “It’s… it’s all too much, Leo. Everything. Isabel, the Sisterhood, my parents—I never even had the chance to mourn them, and now all of this…” He squeezed her hands, the warmth of his touch grounding her. “You don’t have to carry this alone. I know it feels like the world is crumbling, but we’ll get through it. We always do.” She gave a bitter laugh, wiping away a tear. “You warned me about this life. You told me it would be hard, that it would come with pain and danger. And I thought I was ready. But now…” He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his expression softening. “You are ready. You’re stronger than anyone I know. And you’re not alone.” She broke down into even harder sobs, and he just held her close, letting her cry against his chest. His arms were wrapped around her tightly, and he whispered soothing words, his touch gentle and comforting. As her body shook with grief, he fought the urge to share what had happe
By the time they finished work, dusk had settled over the city, casting long shadows across the streets. “I need to get back to the cabin,” Leonardo said, gathering his things. “My wife’s there, and we’ll wrap things up once we’re back.” He knew Arya had gone to the convent earlier to confront Isabel, and although his instincts told him she was safe, a faint sense of urgency nagged at him. Working here, dealing with everything else, had given her space, but he couldn’t help wanting to check in on her. Behind him, Ricardo and Rob were in yet another argument, voices rising and falling as they debated. Leonardo had long since learned to tune them out. Instead, he let his thoughts wander. Spending most of his childhood alone, with only the company of books he’d memorized cover to cover, he’d become accustomed to living inside his mind, finding peace there. But something shifted. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of movement, something or someone moving too delib
Leonardo walked into the room to find everyone already seated, waiting expectantly. He took his seat, and Rob slid a few files across the table. “These are all we could gather, boss. I double-checked—it’s everything they had,” Rob said, his tone firm. Leonardo picked up the files, scanning through them quickly. Setting them back down, he looked up, addressing the room. “Someone is playing a twisted game with my wife. She suspects it might be the Mother Superior, but I’m not convinced,” he began, his voice steely. Rob tensed beside him. Usually, they didn’t discuss these matters openly, especially with others around. But Rob must have trusted Leonardo’s judgment since he didn’t attempt to question it. “Of course, we don’t suspect any of you,” Leonardo added, glancing around the table. “We trust you all completely, especially after the support you’ve shown. And if we need further assistance, we’ll reach out.” He nodded at Ricardo, who took the cue. “You heard the Don. We
Arya could hardly believe Isabel’s audacity. Her voice trembled with anger as she glared at the Mother Superior. “Don’t sit there on your high horse, pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about.” Isabel sighed, placing her reading glasses delicately on the table. “I get that you’re the wife of a very powerful man, a Don, but Arya, I don’t need to hear about the issues in your marriage. I have done nothing wrong, and I genuinely have no idea what you’re accusing me of.” Arya recoiled, taken aback by the indifference in Isabel’s tone. “What? Why would you say that?” “Why shouldn’t I?” Isabel responded sharply, her expression unreadable. Arya narrowed her eyes, studying Isabel's face. “No. Why would you assume this was about my marriage, Isabel? What makes you think that’s what I came here for?” Isabel raised an eyebrow, her mouth curling in a faint, mocking smile. “Oh, it’s not? Then I’m truly sorry for the misunderstanding. But tell me, Arya—what exactly are you accusi