Chapter 56

The alley was narrow and damp, the brick walls lined with graffiti and grime. Dim streetlights flickered above, casting long, eerie shadows along the pavement. A distant siren wailed in the background, adding to the tension that already coiled thick in the air.

Isabella and Enzo moved cautiously, their minds racing after what they had uncovered in the vault. Their bodies hummed with adrenaline, but neither spoke. There was too much to process, too much uncertainty ahead of them.

Then, without warning, Isabella's phone vibrated.

The sharp buzz broke the silence, making her stomach tighten. She stopped mid-step, pulling the device from her pocket. The screen glowed, displaying an unknown number.

A cold sensation crawled up her spine.

Enzo glanced at her. "Who is it?"

She hesitated before answering, her voice careful. "Hello?"

For a moment, there was only silence. Then-a voice.

"Walk away."

Isabella stiffened. The words were distorted, the voice unrecognizable at first. A chill ran through her.

"Who is this?" she demanded.

"If you value your life," the voice continued, eerily calm, "you'll stop digging. Leave now, or you won't get another chance."

Enzo took a step closer, his brows furrowing as he tried to read her expression. "Put it on speaker," he mouthed.

Isabella ignored him, gripping the phone tighter. Her breath was shallow, her pulse pounding in her ears.

"Why should I believe you?" she asked, keeping her voice steady despite the unease settling in her chest.

There was a pause. The silence stretched too long, too heavy. Then, finally, the voice returned-but this time, softer.

"Because I never wanted you to find out."

Her stomach twisted.

The voice wasn't just distorted. Beneath the static, beneath the slight warping, she knew that voice.

Familiar. Close.

Her fingers trembled slightly as realization dawned. Not a stranger.

No.

It was someone she trusted.

Her breath hitched. "No it can't be you."

The caller exhaled, and for the first time, there was something genuine in their tone-regret.

"I'm sorry," they murmured. "But you were never supposed to know."

Then-the line went dead.

The rooftop was quiet, save for the distant murmur of the city below. The sky stretched wide, dark and endless, with only the faintest glow of stars peeking through the haze.

A small candle flickered on the table between Isabella and Enzo, casting unsteady light against their tense faces.

Isabella stood with her arms crossed, staring at the skyline, her mind reeling. The call had rattled her more than she wanted to admit.

"We have to go after them," she said at last, her voice laced with frustration. "We can't just let this go."

Enzo leaned against the metal railing, his expression unreadable. "And do what? March into their homes and demand answers? Isabella, this is bigger than we thought. You saw what was in that vault-this isn't just about business or betrayal. This is a war we were never meant to be part of."

She turned to him sharply. "So what? We just run? We pretend none of this happened?"

He exhaled through his nose, his grip tightening on the railing. "Maybe running is the only way to survive."

She shook her head. "No. I need to know the truth. Someone I trusted-someone close to me-was part of this." Her voice wavered slightly, but she masked it with frustration. "I need to know why."

Enzo held her gaze for a long moment. His face was unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes-hesitation? Fear?

"And what if knowing gets us killed?" he asked quietly.

She opened her mouth to answer-

CRACK!

The first gunshot shattered the quiet night.

The candle on the table flickered wildly before going out.

Then another shot. Then another.

Glass exploded somewhere behind them. Metal screeched as bullets ricocheted off surfaces.

"Get down!" Enzo lunged, grabbing Isabella's arm and yanking her behind the overturned table just as another round of bullets tore through the rooftop.

Adrenaline spiked in her veins. Heart hammering, Isabella reached for her gun, but then-

A sharp, burning pain ripped through her side.

She gasped. Stumbled. A strange, warm wetness spread beneath her fingers.

Enzo's eyes went wide. "Isabella!"

She staggered, her knees threatening to buckle. "I-I'm fine," she forced out, but even as she said it, her vision blurred.

Blood. So much blood.

Enzo's jaw clenched as he pulled her against him. The gunfire hadn't stopped. They had seconds to escape-or die here.

The car tore through the city, headlights cutting through the darkness. The dashboard glowed faintly, illuminating Enzo's tight grip on the steering wheel.

His knuckles were white. His jaw set.

Next to him, Isabella was slipping.

She leaned against the passenger seat, her head tilted slightly toward the window. The streetlights passing by cast flashes of gold across her pale face.

Her breathing was too shallow.

Enzo stole a glance at her, then back at the road. His pulse was a drumbeat in his ears.

"Stay with me," he ordered, his voice harsh. Desperate.

Her fingers twitched against the wound on her side, pressing weakly. "Tired..." she murmured.

"Don't." His grip on the wheel tightened. "Don't close your eyes, Isabella."

She let out a soft, breathless laugh. "This really sucks."

"Yeah," he muttered. "It does."

But he wasn't amused. Not even close.

Gunfire echoed behind them. The black SUVs weren't letting up.

Enzo cursed and jerked the wheel, taking a sharp left. Tires screeched. The car fishtailed before finding traction again.

They were still being followed. They needed a way out.

But before he could figure out their next move-

Isabella whispered something.

At first, he thought he imagined it.

Then she said it again.

A name. Barely audible. But Enzo heard it.

His grip on the wheel turned lethal. His pulse thundered in his ears.

His head snapped toward her.

"What did you just say?"

She barely stirred. Her body slumped slightly, her eyelids fluttering.

Enzo's breath came sharp and ragged.

He knew that name.

And it changed everything.