When Storms Collide

Chapter 5

The next morning, the grand gates of the Reign estate opened wide to let in a line of black cars. The Galvez family had arrived to move in. Servants carried heavy leather suitcases up the wide stairs, and guard dogs barked in the distance. The house was full of noise and movement, but one important person was completely missing from the chaos.

Lizandra was not there.

Her empty bedroom sat dark and quiet at the end of the hallway. While her brothers and sisters stood downstairs to watch the Spanish family unpack, Lizandra was already thousands of miles away, working in the shadows.

Down in the main living room, the moving process was tense. Armando Galvez stood by the front door, watching his family’s weapon crates being checked by Reign security guards. Flavio stood right next to him, making sure everything followed the strict house rules.

Gianna walked past the two men, holding her leather folder tightly against her chest. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a secret, blocked number. She quickly stepped away into a quiet corner to answer it.

"Report," Gianna said softly.

"The target in Paris is taken care of," Lizandra’s voice came through the phone. Her tone was completely flat and calm, but Gianna could hear the faint sound of rain hitting a window in the background. "He was selling our shipping codes to a rival group. It won't happen again."

Gianna let out a quiet breath. "You missed the arrival. The Galvez family is inside the house right now. Father asked where you were."

"Tell Father I am doing my job," Lizandra replied cold and quick. "The family is growing, which means our enemies are getting hungrier. Someone has to keep the borders safe while everyone else plays house."

"Lizandra—"

"I have to go. My flight to Berlin leaves in ten minutes," Lizandra cut in. The line went dead with a sharp click.

Gianna sighed and lowered her phone. She looked back at the busy living room. Valeria Galvez was currently pointing at an old oil painting, telling a servant where to hang a new piece of Spanish art. Gianna’s jaw tightened. Lizandra was right about one thing: the world outside was changing fast, and the dangers were only getting bigger.

By late afternoon, the extra of the estate was fully prepared for the Galvez family. The hallway smelled like a mix of Italian wood polish and Spanish leather.

Federico Galvez walked down the new hallway, carrying a large canvas painting under his arm. He stopped when he saw Ambrose standing outside a bedroom door. The quiet Reign doctor was holding a medical kit, looking at the security setup on the wall.

"Is this my room?" Federico asked, tilting his head.

"Yes," Ambrose said, turning his sharp eyes toward the artist. "And mine is right across from yours. I placed it there on purpose."

Federico smiled, a dangerous look in his eyes. "To keep an eye on me?"

"To make sure you don't bleed on the expensive carpets if you try anything stupid," Ambrose replied flatly. He tapped the medical kit in his hand. "I like a clean house, Federico."

Federico let out a short laugh. "Don't worry, Doctor. I only make a mess when I'm working on my art."

Further down the hall, young Miguel was already sitting inside his new room. He had his books spread out across a large desk, but his mind wasn't on his studies. He kept looking at the digital camera feed on his laptop. He noticed that the camera covering the back garden kept flickering every few minutes.

Suddenly, a small shadow leaned into his open doorway. It was Fabriz.

"You're wasting your time looking at that screen," Fabriz whispered, his arms crossed over his chest.

Miguel didn't look up from his laptop. "The feed is glitching. It's a security risk."

"It's not a glitch," Fabriz said, stepping into the room without making a sound. "Regina runs a looping program on that specific camera so she can sneak out past curfew. If you try to fix it, she will lock your computer completely."

Miguel stopped typing and looked at the youngest Reign brother. "This family has too many secrets."

"And your family has too many bags," Fabriz countered quietly, looking at the suitcases still stacked by the door. "Get used to it, Galvez. This isn't a normal home."

~~

That evening, the family gathered in the smaller drawing room for a quiet drink before bed. Darius and Catalina sat on the large sofa, looking tired but happy with the day's progress. Armando and Flavio stood by the bar, pouring drinks in a tense, silent truce.

Maya Galvez sat on a plush chair, swirling a glass of red wine. Her eyes kept drifting toward the door, waiting for a certain black-haired woman to appear. Finally, she looked over at Regina, who was typing away on her wrist device.

"Where is your sister?" Maya asked, trying to sound casual. "The scary one with the silver knife. I haven't seen her all day."

Regina didn't look up from her screen. "Lizandra doesn't do moving days. She is currently out of the country."

Valeria raised an eyebrow from across the room. "Out of the country? During her father's wedding week?"

"Lizandra is our shadow, she is incharge of the cleaning ups" Flavio’s deep voice boomed from the bar, stopping the conversation completely. He walked over and handed a glass to Armando. "She goes where the family needs her to go. She protects our interests."

Armando took the glass and looked straight at Flavio. "My family understands duty, Flavio. But a shadow can be dangerous if it moves without the body knowing."

"You don't need to worry about Lizandra, Armando," Darius said from the sofa, his commanding voice cutting through the tension. He looked at his future stepchildren with a serious expression. "She knows exactly who the enemy is, it is her work after all, And right now, the enemy is not in this house."

The room went quiet. The Galvez siblings exchanged quick, knowing looks. They understood what Darius meant. The two families were finally under one roof, constant reminder that outside these walls, a very real war was still waiting for them.