Inside the House
Zaire stood watching the footage, jaw loose, hands on his hips.
Kyra appeared beside him, wide-eyed. “Was that your mom?”
“Yup.”
“…She’s terrifying.”
He grinned. “Yup.”
“She just shut them all down.”
Zaire finally let out a breath, admiring the footage like it was an art piece. “She’s been doing that since I was twelve. Boardrooms. Reporters. Football coaches. She doesn’t play.”
The gate buzzed again. This time, Marco’s voice was lighter.
“She’s gone. Reporters are scattering. Guess they didn’t want smoke with Mama Cruz.”
Zaire chuckled. “Can’t blame ’em.”
⸻
Zaire’s POV
Just as the last van of reporters rolled down the hill and disappeared from the security monitor, my phone vibrated.
Mamá
Open the back road. I’m coming in. We need to talk.
I sighed, then s
