The hours ticked by in a blur as I sat by William's bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. The rhythmic beeping of the machines monitoring him became a strange source of comfort, reminding me that for now, he was safe. But even as the hospital room remained still, the world outside felt anything but.
Ethan's revelation about Victor Castellano had shaken me to my core. The name that had appeared in my father's journal, the shadow that loomed over everything, was suddenly very real. And now, I couldn't stop wondering—what else had my father kept hidden from me? How deep did his ties to the criminal world run?
I shifted in my chair, my body aching from the tension of the last few days. My mind wouldn't stop racing, but I couldn't let myself fall apart. Not now. Not when everything was teetering on the edge.
William stirred beside me, his face still pale, but his expression more alert than it had been earlier. His fingers twitched against mine, and when his eyes flickered open, they immediately locked onto mine.
"Hey," I whispered, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips despite the overwhelming fear. "You're awake."
He gave me a weak nod, his eyes clouded with pain but still sharp. "How long was I out?" His voice was rough, but there was a hint of his usual determination beneath it.
"Just a few hours," I replied, brushing my thumb gently over the back of his hand. "You needed the rest."
William frowned, clearly unsatisfied with my answer. "Where's Ethan? Have you heard anything about Jace?"
"He's been talking to the detectives," I explained. "They've got Jace in custody, but he's not the real problem anymore. It's Castellano."
The mention of Victor Castellano's name caused William's expression to harden. He shifted slightly, wincing as he tried to sit up, but I quickly pressed my hand against his chest to stop him.
"You're still injured," I said, my voice firm. "You need to take it easy."
William's jaw clenched, frustration evident in his eyes. He wasn't the type to sit still while things spiraled out of control around him. "There's no time for that, Alice. If Castellano is involved, we can't just sit here. He'll come after us. After you."
"I know," I whispered, my stomach twisting with fear. "But we have to be smart about this. We need to figure out what Castellano wants, why he's targeting us now."
"He wants control," William said, his voice sharp despite his weakened state. "Control of your father's empire. He always has. Your father kept him at bay for years, but now that Michael is gone, he sees an opportunity."
"But why go through Jace?" I asked, my brow furrowing. "Why use him as a pawn?"
William's eyes darkened. "Because Jace is desperate, and desperate people are easy to manipulate. Castellano knew Jace's obsession with you and Ava could be used to his advantage. If Jace could take control of Ava, he'd have leverage over you—and over the company."
The realization made my blood run cold. Jace's obsession with power, his twisted need to control my life, was nothing more than a tool for Castellano to achieve his own goals. I had been so focused on Jace that I hadn't seen the bigger picture—the real enemy lurking behind the scenes.
"But Castellano's not going to stop with Jace," William continued, his voice low. "If he can't get what he wants through him, he'll find another way. And he'll come after you, Alice. You're the one standing in his way."
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me. "So what do we do?"
William's gaze softened as he looked at me, his fingers tightening slightly around mine. "We fight back. But we have to be careful. Castellano is dangerous, and he's been planning this for a long time. We need to gather information, find out where he's vulnerable."
I nodded, though my heart pounded in my chest. Fighting back against someone like Victor Castellano felt like stepping into the lion's den. But I couldn't let fear paralyze me. I had to be strong, for myself, for Ava, for everyone who was depending on me.
"Ethan's already started digging into Castellano's connections," I said. "He's going to keep looking, but we need more than just information. We need allies."
William's expression shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing in thought. "You're right. We can't do this alone. Castellano has resources, men loyal to him, and a network that spans decades. But so did your father."
I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
William leaned back against the pillows, wincing slightly as he adjusted himself. "Your father may have been involved in some unsavory dealings, but he wasn't without allies. There were people in his network who respected him, who owed him favors. Some of them might still be willing to help."
The idea that my father had allies, people who might still be out there, was both unsettling and strangely comforting. For so long, I had felt like I was battling this shadow alone, but now, it seemed there might be more to my father's legacy than I had realized.
"Do you know where we can find them?" I asked, a glimmer of hope stirring within me.
William's lips curved into a faint, tired smile. "I have a few names in mind. But we'll need to move carefully. Not everyone in your father's circle was trustworthy, and some of them might have already sided with Castellano."
A chill ran down my spine at the thought of more betrayal. The last thing we needed was another enemy hiding in plain sight. But we had no choice. If we were going to stop Castellano, we needed all the help we could get.
Before I could respond, the door to the hospital room creaked open, and Ethan stepped inside, his expression grim.
"How's he doing?" Ethan asked, glancing between the two of us.
"He's recovering," I replied, squeezing William's hand. "But we need to start planning our next move."
Ethan nodded, though I could see the weight of exhaustion in his eyes. "I've been in touch with the detectives. They're holding Jace, but he's refusing to talk. He's protecting someone, and we all know who that someone is."
"Castellano," William muttered.
"Exactly," Ethan agreed. "And until we can link Jace directly to Castellano, he's not going to give us anything useful. We're going to have to go after Castellano ourselves."
I glanced at William, concern gnawing at the edges of my mind. He was in no condition to lead a charge against Castellano, but I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't sit on the sidelines.
"We need to find a way to expose Castellano," William said, his voice low but determined. "If we can gather enough evidence, we can bring him down."
Ethan's eyes darkened. "That's easier said than done. Castellano has been in the shadows for years. He's good at covering his tracks, and the people who work for him are loyal. They won't talk."
"Then we make them talk," William replied, his tone sharp.
Ethan hesitated, glancing at me before speaking. "William, you're still recovering. We need to be careful about how we approach this."
William's jaw clenched, his frustration evident. "I don't have time to recover, Ethan. Castellano is coming for us—coming for Alice. I can't sit around and do nothing."
I placed a hand on William's arm, trying to calm him. "We'll figure this out together. But we have to be smart. If we rush in without a plan, we'll be playing right into Castellano's hands."
William's eyes softened as he looked at me, his tension easing slightly. "You're right. We need a plan."
Ethan crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. "I'll keep digging into Castellano's operations. In the meantime, we should start reaching out to the people your father trusted. See if any of them are willing to help."
William nodded, his mind already working through the possibilities. "There's someone we can start with. A man named Lucas Bennett. He's connected to a lot of the old guard, and he owes me a favor."
The name struck a chord, and I remembered meeting Lucas briefly at one of my father's events when I was younger. He had been charming, charismatic, but with an air of mystery about him. If anyone could help us navigate this dangerous world, it might be him.
"Let's contact him," I said, a sense of urgency rising within me. "We need to move quickly."
Ethan nodded, pushing away from the door. "I'll make the call."
As he left the room, a strange silence settled between William and me. For a moment, neither of us spoke, the weight of everything pressing down on us.
"I'm sorry," William said suddenly, his voice soft but filled with regret.
I blinked, taken aback by the vulnerability in his tone. "Sorry? For what?"
"For everything," he whispered. "For not telling you sooner about your father's past. For letting things get this far. I promised I would protect you, and I feel like I've failed."
I shook my head, my heart aching as I reached for his hand. "You haven't failed, William.
You've been there for me every step of the way. I wouldn't have made it this far without you."
His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, the walls he had built around himself crumbled, leaving him raw and exposed. "I don't want to lose you, Alice. Not to Castellano. Not to anyone."
I swallowed hard, the depth of his emotion hitting me like a wave. "You won't lose me," I whispered, squeezing his hand. "We'll get through this. Together."
But even as the words left my lips, I couldn't shake the feeling that something dark was looming just beyond the horizon.
And whatever it was, it was coming for us.