Chapter 52: Another Ally

*Layla*

In the days that followed my confrontation with Dante, he began to spend his nights away from the penthouse. 

I found myself consumed with thoughts of my mother and the danger that seemed to lurk around every corner. I tried to go about my daily life, to keep up the pretense of normalcy, but it was a fragile facade, one that threatened to crumble at any moment.

Every time my phone rang, every time there was a knock at the door, I felt my heart leap into my throat. 

Was it my mother, finally reaching out to let me know she was safe? But as the days turned into weeks, and there was still no sign of her, I began to feel a growing sense of despair, a fear that I might never see her again. I tried to push those thoughts aside, to focus on the task at hand, but it was a constant struggle, a battle that I felt like I was losing more and more each day.