Chapter 24: Mother and Daughter

*Layla*

"Alright," I said finally, holding the butler's gaze steadily. "What did you have in mind?"

A sly grin spread across his thin lips, and he beckoned me closer with one gnarled finger.

"Just follow my lead, Miss Jennings," he murmured. "And try to keep quiet. We wouldn't want to draw any...unwanted attention, now would we?"

As I fell into step behind him, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being led into a trap, that the tangled web of lies and betrayal I had found myself caught in was only growing tighter with every passing moment. But I pushed those doubts aside, steeling myself for whatever was to come.

With his help, I managed to slip out of the penthouse and into the waiting car without alerting Dante or his men. As we drove through the city streets, fear coursed through my veins.

We pulled up to the nondescript warehouse in an abandoned industrial district. My heart pounded as the butler led me inside, down a dimly lit corridor lined with heavily armed guards.