I woke up to the soft light of morning filtering through the heavy curtains, casting a dim glow across the room. For a moment, I forgot where I was, the events of the past days feeling like a distant nightmare. But then I heard Ava's soft breathing beside me, and reality came crashing back.
Castellano was gone. Dead. But his shadow still loomed large in my mind, and even though we were safe for the moment, I knew it wouldn't last. Ferraro was out there, waiting to make his move, and with Castellano gone, the power struggle was just beginning.
I sat up carefully, not wanting to disturb Ava, and glanced around the room. The house was quiet, too quiet, and I could feel the weight of the silence pressing down on me. It was the kind of silence that felt wrong, like the calm before a storm. And that storm had a name: Ferraro.
