Chapter 17: The Betrayal Within
Elara's phone buzzed relentlessly as she paced the safehouse.
"It's Dominic," Aaron said, eyes dark. "He's missing."
Elara's heart dropped. "What do you mean missing?"
Aaron frowned. "His last message said he had a lead. Then nothing."
Hours later, a video appeared on Elara's encrypted line.
Dominic's face, bruised and bloodied, flickered on the screen.
"You were a fool to trust me," he spat, voice shaking. "The Roths have me now."
Elara's hands trembled.
"Why?" she whispered.
Dominic sneered. "They promised my family's safety. You can't win."
Aaron clenched his fists.
"We have to save him."
Elara's gaze hardened.
"No. We have to finish this."
The next day, Elara called Senator Evelyn Marks.
"We need her help—fast."
Evelyn agreed to leverage her connections to locate Dominic.
Meanwhile, the Roth family struck hard.
Safehouses burned, allies disappeared.
Elara's world narrowed to a single point—survival.
That night, as Elara sat with Leo asleep on her chest, she whispered,
"I won't let this end like this. Not for you. Not for us."