My breath caught in my throat as the sound of gunfire outside echoed throughout the villa. Each detonation resonated like a hammer blow in my chest, freezing me in place. Nina, however, remained motionless, her mocking smile still fixed on her face, as if the chaos around us were a carefully orchestrated spectacle for her amusement. Her eyes fixed on me with a cold intensity, as if she were savoring my fear.
I wanted to move, run, do something, but I knew I couldn't risk a misstep. My mind kept returning to Leo. Where was he? Had Mila gotten him to safety? I clung desperately to that thought: Mila was smart, brave. She wouldn't let anything happen to my son. But even so, I felt my panic growing with each passing second. What if someone found them? What if I never saw him again? The thought almost made me want to scream.
