I stayed hidden in the shadows of the staircase, my back pressed against the cool, hard wood of the banister. Every step I took seemed to echo in the silence, but no one seemed to notice me. I could hear the faint rustle of fabric as Rafael shifted, the click of boots against the marble floor, and the low rumble of voices filtering through the air like a storm brewing on the horizon.
My heart was pounding in my chest, not just from the tension in the room but from the words I’d overheard. I couldn’t pull myself away, even though I wanted to. I knew I had no choice but to listen. Every word mattered. Every conversation was a piece of the puzzle.
Mateo’s voice was the first to break the thick silence, low and steady, but carrying an ominous tone that made my skin crawl.
“Julian got into
