11..

Alina sat beside Ricardo with a calm expression, even though countless scenarios were racing through her mind. Ricardo had called all his trusted people to gather tonight, and Alina knew this wasn't just an ordinary meeting. Something was happening something that could be a threat to her.

The room was filled with the low murmur of Ricardo's men talking among themselves, waiting for their leader to speak. Ricardo finally stood up, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"I want to discuss something very important tonight," he said coldly. "There is a traitor among us."

Alina's heart pounded, but she kept her expression steady. She had anticipated this possibility, but what worried her was how much Ricardo actually knew.

Then, suddenly, the door swung open. A woman walked in with confident steps Ema.

Alina felt her blood freeze. So Ema had chosen to return to Ricardo's side and betray her.

Ema looked at Alina with a sly smile. "I warned you, Alina. No one can run from Ricardo forever."

Ricardo walked toward Alina with slow, deliberate steps. "Ema told me a lot of interesting things," he said, his voice laced with menace. "Like how you've been working behind my back. How you've been feeding information to someone who is supposed to be our enemy."

Alina met Ema's gaze sharply but remained composed. "And you choose to trust someone who has already tried to betray you once?"

Ricardo smirked. "Let's just say I'm giving her a second chance… a chance to redeem herself."

The tension in the room thickened. Ricardo studied her intently, trying to read her expression. Alina knew that outright denial would only make her look more guilty, but confessing wasn't an option either.

Before Ricardo could say anything else, one of his guards rushed in. "Boss, there's a problem at the port."

Ricardo narrowed his eyes. "What kind of problem?"

"Leo and his men are there. They're trying to infiltrate our shipment."

Alina held her breath. This had to be a trap.

Ricardo let out a small, satisfied smile, as if he had anticipated everything. "You know," he said smoothly, "I let that information leak on purpose."

Alina's eyes widened for a split second before she quickly masked her reaction.

Ricardo turned to Ema. "Thanks for the tip. Looks like Leo took the bait."

Ema nodded, her smile triumphant. "I only did what I had to, Ricardo."

Alina now realized they had been deceived. Ricardo had fed them false information. That meant Leo and his men were in danger.

Meanwhile, at the port, Leo and his team moved cautiously. They had found the location that was supposed to be the key shipment point for Ricardo. But as they entered the area, all they found were empty containers.

Something felt off. Leo raised his hand, signaling his men to halt. "It's a trap," he murmured.

Just as the words left his lips, floodlights blazed to life, and the sound of footsteps echoed from all directions.

Leo gripped his gun tighter. They had walked straight into an ambush.

Back at Ricardo's meeting, Alina struggled to remain calm. She needed to find a way out of this situation before Ricardo decided to get rid of her.

Ricardo stepped closer, his eyes locked onto hers. "I want to know one thing, Alina," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "Are you going to keep pretending you don't know anything, or will you confess now?"

Alina met his gaze, searching for a way to turn the situation around. If she confessed, it would only confirm Ricardo's suspicions and give him a reason to eliminate her. But if she denied it, she had to stall for time just enough to give Leo a chance to escape.

An idea formed in her mind. She looked at Ricardo with quiet confidence. "If I really betrayed you, why haven't you killed me yet?"

Ricardo raised an eyebrow. "Eager to die so soon?"

Alina gave a small smile. "No. I just want to know are you truly certain of your accusations? Or are you still unsure?"

Ricardo remained silent for a moment, weighing her words. He never liked making decisions based on assumptions. He always ensured everything was certain before taking action.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Fine, Alina. I'll give you a chance. But don't think for a second that I'll let my guard down."

Alina simply nodded. She knew Ricardo didn't fully trust her, but this was better than being executed on the spot.

That night, Alina returned to her room, her mind racing. She had to find a way to warn Leo that they had been exposed. But with Ema back on Ricardo's side, everything had just become much more difficult.

***

Meanwhile, Leo and his men began retreating carefully, searching for a way out of the ambush. They knew they were outnumbered, and a full-blown fight wasn't a good option.

Suddenly, a voice crackled through Leo's earpiece. It was Rafael. "Leo, you need to get out of there now. It's a trap."

Leo clicked his tongue. "Yeah, I figured that out already."

Rafael sounded frustrated. "I'll try to create a distraction, but you need to move fast."

Leo signaled his men, and they started moving with extra caution. If they couldn't fight their way out, they had to escape undetected.

On the other side of the port, Leo finally managed to slip away with his team.

Ricardo had been one step ahead this time.

But Leo couldn't wait to turn the game around.