At 11:47 p.m., Elvira finally got one hand free.
It had taken nearly forty minutes.
The broken metal edge beneath her chair had sliced through the plastic restraint one tiny movement at a time.
She kept her hands behind her back.
Nobody noticed.
Isabella checked the window.
“He'll come.”
Serrano looked at his watch.
“Of course.”
Elvira tilted her head.
“You sound nervous.”
He ignored her.
“You should be.”
Isabella turned.
“Stop talking.”
“Why? Does he hate confidence?”
Isabella walked toward her.
Elvira smiled.
“You know what's interesting?”
“What?”
“You planned the freezer beautifully.”
Isabella froze.
Serrano glanced over.
“You bought the lock ahead of time. You arranged money. You had someone erase cameras.”
“Shut up.”
“But one thing never made sense.”
Isabella stepped closer.
“What?”
“Why the children?”
Something flickered across her face.
Elvira saw it.
Not jealousy.
Fear.
“You weren't just jealous of them.”
Isabella said nothing.
“They saw something.”
Serrano stood.
“Enough.”
Elvira looked between them.
She understood.
“Leo saw you with Serrano before the engagement.”
Isabella went pale.
Elvira’s pulse raced.
She was guessing.
But the reaction confirmed everything.
“When?”
Silence.
“Maybe he heard something too.”
Serrano grabbed Elvira’s chair.
“Stop talking.”
“You needed them gone because a six-year-old recognized the man helping you betray Lorenzo.”
Isabella shouted, “He saw Victor in my apartment!”
There it was.
Serrano slowly turned toward her.
Isabella realized what she had said.
Elvira stared.
“Thank you.”
Isabella lunged.
Serrano caught her.
“You idiot.”
Neither noticed Elvira remove the second restraint.
A car approached outside.
Headlights swept across the boarded windows.
Serrano immediately became calm.
“Positions.”
Two guards moved toward the entrance.
Isabella fixed her hair.
Elvira almost laughed.
Even now.
Even in an abandoned restaurant after kidnapping somebody.
Isabella still needed to look perfect when Lorenzo arrived.
The door opened.
Lorenzo walked in alone.
Black coat.
Empty hands.
Expression unreadable.
“Elvira.”
“I'm okay.”
His shoulders dropped half an inch.
Serrano noticed.
“I told you she was your weakness.”
Lorenzo looked at him.
“You mistake caring about someone for weakness.”
“Your father never did.”
“My father died surrounded by men who feared him.”
Lorenzo stepped farther inside.
“I'd rather live surrounded by people who choose me.”
Serrano laughed.
“Beautiful philosophy.”
He held out his hand.
“The drive.”
Lorenzo removed a small encrypted device from his pocket.
Elvira recognized it from his office.
“Let her go first.”
“No.”
“You get nothing until she walks out.”
Serrano drew a gun.
Elvira’s heart jumped.
Lorenzo didn't move.
Isabella smiled.
“You still think you control the room.”
Lorenzo looked at her.
“No.”
Her smile widened.
“I know I do.”
Elvira looked at the fire alarm.
Then at the old sprinkler valve above the kitchen doorway.
She had been waiting.
The guard nearest her turned toward Lorenzo.
Elvira moved.
She kicked the chair backward into his knees, jumped up, grabbed the serving tray from the table, and slammed it against the fire alarm.
A deafening bell erupted.
Everybody flinched.
Lorenzo moved instantly.
Elvira ran toward the kitchen.
Serrano shouted.
One of his men caught her apron.
It tore.
She stumbled through the doorway and grabbed the sprinkler valve.
Nothing.
“Come on.”
She pulled harder.
A rusted pipe burst.
Water exploded across the kitchen.
Serrano swore.
Then lights flashed through the windows.
Blue.
Red.
Everywhere.
Police.
Serrano stared at Lorenzo.
“You brought them?”
“Many of them.”
“You're insane.”
“No. I'm finished protecting your world.”
Officers surrounded the building.
Serrano dragged Elvira toward him.
The gun rose.
Lorenzo's expression changed.
“Victor.”
“Drop the drive.”
Elvira felt the barrel near her shoulder.
“Do it,” Serrano ordered.
Lorenzo slowly bent.
The drive touched the floor.
Serrano smiled.
Then Elvira stamped hard on his foot and dropped.
The movement gave Lorenzo the opening.
He knocked Serrano’s arm aside.
The gun slid under a table.
Officers entered seconds later.
Everything happened quickly after that.
Serrano on the floor.
Guards surrendering.
Isabella trying to escape through the kitchen before discovering police waiting at the rear exit.
When it was over, Elvira sat against a wall, soaked from the broken sprinkler.
Lorenzo came toward her.
His coat was torn.
Water dripped from his hair.
She started laughing.
He stopped.
“What?”
“You look terrible.”
He stared at her.
“You were kidnapped.”
“I know.”
“You almost got shot.”
“I noticed.”
“And you're laughing?”
“You're supposed to be Chicago's terrifying mafia boss.”
He looked down at his soaked clothes.
“Currently I'm aware the image has suffered.”
She laughed harder.
Then suddenly she started crying.
All the fear she had held back crashed through her.
Lorenzo dropped beside her.
She pressed her face against his chest.
“I thought you wouldn't find me.”
“I will always look.”
“That isn't the same as finding.”
“No.”
He held her tighter.
“But I'll never stop.”
Across the room, Isabella was being handcuffed.
She looked at them.
For once, her perfect face held no mask.
Only defeat.
“You'll regret her,” she said.
Lorenzo didn't even turn.
“No.”
Isabella laughed bitterly.
“She'll never belong in your world.”
Elvira lifted her head.
Lorenzo finally looked over.
“That's the point.”
Isabella frowned.
Lorenzo said, “I'm leaving yours.”
---