Chapter 33:The Enemy Within

The night passed in uneasy silence, the quiet only broken by the distant sounds of the estate's security system. Isla lay in the bed, wide awake, her mind racing with everything she had learned—and everything she hadn't.

Adrian Costa. The man who wanted to destroy Alessandro. The man who, it seemed, had already found a way into their lives, breaking through the walls Alessandro had carefully built. And now, he was coming for them.

And she was caught in the middle.

Isla had barely slept, her thoughts consumed by the implications of everything that had happened so far. She knew she couldn't just sit back and wait for Alessandro to protect her—especially now that she had a clear picture of the danger they were in. She needed to be strong, to help him in any way she could.

When the first light of dawn broke through the heavy curtains, Isla knew it was time. She dressed quickly, pulling on something simple but functional, a dark hoodie and jeans. She was ready for whatever came next.

As she walked out into the hallway, she found Alessandro standing in the study, his back to her, his hands clenched on the desk. His broad shoulders were tense, his face grim as he looked down at a map sprawled across the table.

The moment he heard her, he turned, his eyes flicking over her before narrowing slightly. "What are you doing up?" His voice was low, hard, like a warning.

Isla crossed her arms, standing tall. "I'm not sitting this one out, Alessandro. Not anymore."

For a moment, he just looked at her, his expression unreadable. Then he exhaled sharply and walked over to her, stopping just a few feet away. His eyes were filled with a mix of frustration and something deeper, something more dangerous.

"You don't understand what this is," he said quietly, his voice softer but still intense. "This isn't a game. This is life and death."

"I know that," she replied, her voice steady despite the surge of anxiety in her chest. "I've known it since the moment I got involved. And now that I am, I want to help."

Alessandro's gaze flickered to the map on the desk, then back to her. "It's not that simple. You don't understand the level of danger we're facing."

Isla took a step forward, the air between them crackling with the tension of their unspoken words. "I understand that you're the one who's been carrying this alone for too long. And I'm not going to let you do that anymore."

Alessandro seemed to hesitate, his jaw tightening as if he was struggling with something inside himself. Finally, he spoke, his voice low but sharp. "I can't lose you, Isla. You're already in too deep."

She looked at him, her heart pounding, but her resolve unshaken. "I'm already in this. We're already in this. And I'm not running from it."

For a long moment, they just stood there, locked in an unspoken battle. Then, finally, Alessandro's gaze softened ever so slightly. He stepped back, his hands running through his hair in frustration.

"Fine," he muttered, his voice edged with resignation. "But you stay behind me. And you listen to every word I say. This isn't a fight for the faint-hearted."

Isla nodded. "I'm with you."

With that, Alessandro turned toward the map on the desk, his mind already moving ahead to the next step. "We've identified one of Adrian Costa's main operations. A warehouse. It's a front for something bigger. We're going in tonight."

Isla's heart raced. This was it. The moment they stopped running. The moment they took the fight to Adrian Costa.

"How do we get in?" she asked, her voice steady despite the tension coiling in her stomach.

Alessandro met her gaze. "With everything we've got."