Alex’s POV
The alley was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the SUV’s engine. Monalisa’s men stood like statues, their guns trained on me and Isabella. My mind raced, calculating every possible move we could make to get out of this alive.
Isabella’s hand gripped my arm tightly, trembling. I wanted to tell her everything would be fine, but I couldn’t lie—not now. Not when the odds were so heavily stacked against us.
“Last chance, Alex,” Monalisa said, her voice cold and sharp. “Hand over the drive.”
“I don’t have it,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.
Her eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward, her heels clicking ominously against the asphalt. “You think I’m stupid? You’ve been running all this time, risking everything, and now you want me to
