The world seemed to tilt around me as I sat in stunned silence, Castellano's final words ringing in my ears. *Twenty-four hours.* That was all the time I had to decide whether I was willing to sacrifice everything—my father's legacy, my future, my daughter's safety—for a chance at survival.
My breath came in shallow gasps as I tried to process the weight of the situation. He had us cornered. If I didn't give him what he wanted, he would take Ava. I knew enough about Castellano to understand that this wasn't an idle threat. He had the resources, the men, and the motivation to follow through. But could I really hand over everything my father had worked for, everything I had fought so hard to protect?
