TWENTY-FOUR
The dawn light was just beginning to filter through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Amara sat by the window, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, staring out at the quiet streets below. The city seemed peaceful, but she knew better. The calm before the storm was always the most deceptive, and it wasn’t lost on her that danger still loomed just outside the walls of this temporary sanctuary. Rafa had been quiet all morning, focused on his phone, likely coordinating with his men and trying to make sense of the next steps. There was a tension in the air—an unspoken understanding that they were running out of time. Xander’s reach was long, and Amara could feel it creeping closer with every passing minute. Rafa was pacing now, his phone held to his ear as he spoke in l
- Writer
