Celia sat in the living room, her mind racing as she tried to process everything that had happened. The gunmen, Ezra's fierce protection, and now Tessa's shocking appearance—all of it felt surreal. But what lingered most in her thoughts were Tessa's cryptic words, a warning about forces bigger than Ferrara coming after her.
Ezra paced back and forth, the tension palpable in the air. His dark hair was disheveled, and his normally calm demeanor had vanished, replaced by an undercurrent of frustration and concern.
"I don't trust her," Celia muttered, breaking the silence. "Tessa's always had an agenda. How do we even know she's telling the truth?"
Ezra paused, his gaze fixed on her. "I don't trust her either, but there's something about what she said… It matches with what I've been hearing from my contacts."
Celia's stomach churned. "You mean there are more people after me? More than just Ferrara?"
Ezra nodded grimly. "Ferrara's ruthless, but he's not the only player in this game. Your father owed more than just money to him. There are others who want to collect, and they're not going to stop until they do."
Celia felt the weight of his words pressing down on her, the reality of her situation becoming more dangerous with every passing minute. She stood up, her body trembling with a mixture of fear and frustration.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" she asked, her voice rising. "I've been walking around, thinking it was just Ferrara, but now you're telling me there are more people who want me dead?"
Ezra's eyes darkened with guilt, but he didn't back down. "I didn't want to scare you. I thought I could handle it before it got to this point, but things have escalated faster than I anticipated."
Celia clenched her fists, her fear quickly turning into anger. "You don't get to decide how much I know, Ezra. This is my life we're talking about."
He closed the distance between them, his expression softening. "I know, and I'm sorry. I'm trying to protect you, but I see now that keeping you in the dark only made things worse."
Celia's eyes filled with unshed tears, the weight of everything threatening to overwhelm her. She didn't want to feel vulnerable, not after everything she had been through, but the gravity of the situation was too much to ignore.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take," she admitted, her voice breaking. "I just wanted to move on with my life, but now it feels like I'm being dragged deeper into something I don't understand."
Ezra's expression softened even further as he gently reached out, cupping her face in his hands. "I know this is hard, Celia. But I'm not going to let them get to you. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if that means going up against every enemy out there."
For a moment, the intensity of his words settled between them, and Celia felt something stir inside her. Despite the fear, despite the danger, there was a small part of her that found comfort in Ezra's presence. His fierce protectiveness was like a lifeline in the chaos surrounding her.
"Then we fight," she whispered, her resolve hardening. "Whatever's coming, we face it together."
Ezra's gaze softened, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "Together."
But before either of them could say anything more, the phone on the table buzzed loudly, cutting through the moment. Ezra's eyes flashed with suspicion as he reached for it, checking the caller ID.
"It's Lorenzo," he said, his voice tense. "He's my inside man with Ferrara. This could be important."
Celia nodded, watching as Ezra answered the call.
"Lorenzo, what have you got?" Ezra's voice was sharp and commanding as he listened intently.
Celia watched his face, trying to gauge the seriousness of the situation based on his reactions. His expression darkened almost immediately, and her heart sank. Whatever Lorenzo was saying, it wasn't good.
"Are you sure?" Ezra's voice was lower now, more controlled, but there was an edge of urgency to it. "Alright, stay low and keep me updated."
He hung up the phone, his gaze meeting Celia's with a grim look. "It's worse than we thought."
Her heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"Ferrara's men are planning a full-scale assault. They've been trying to locate you for weeks, and now they think they've found a way to use Tessa to get to you."
Celia's blood ran cold. "Tessa?"
Ezra nodded. "She's been playing both sides, feeding them information. But what they don't know is that I've been one step ahead of them—until now. They're moving faster than expected, and they're planning something big."
Celia's mind raced, trying to process the magnitude of what Ezra was saying. "What do we do?"
Ezra's expression hardened with determination. "We fight back. I'll have my men put everything on lockdown, but we need to get you somewhere safe first. I'm not taking any chances."
Celia felt a shiver run down her spine, the danger pressing in on all sides. But there was no time to dwell on her fear. If they didn't act now, it could be too late.
Ezra's phone buzzed again, and he checked the screen before glancing at Celia. "That's my team. We need to leave. Now."
Without hesitation, Celia grabbed her things, her heart pounding with adrenaline. This was it. The moment where everything could change—where she would either survive the storm or be consumed by it.
As they headed for the door, Ezra paused, turning to her with a determined look. "Whatever happens, stay close to me. I'll protect you, no matter what."
Celia nodded, her chest tight with both fear and something else—something that felt like hope.
Together, they stepped into the unknown, ready to face whatever came next.