The ties that bind

The air inside the vent was thick with dust, clinging to Serena's skin as she moved forward, her breaths steady but shallow. Every shift of her weight sent a faint creak through the old metal, but she ignored it. Stealth was everything now.

Santiago followed just behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat of his presence, but silent—his movements calculated, deliberate. She hated how good he was at this.

She forced herself to focus.

Below them, the guards' words still echoed in her mind.

She'll come. We just need to keep them occupied long enough.

Serena's grip tightened against the metal frame. Catherine wasn't just trying to escape—she was buying time. For what?

She turned her head slightly, meeting Santiago's gaze. His dark eyes glimmered in the dim lighting of the vent, sharp with understanding.

He leaned in just enough for his lips to brush near her ear. His voice was low, barely a whisper. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Serena swallowed. "That depends. Are you thinking she's after something in the house?"

His lips twitched in amusement. "That, and... that we should get to it before she does."

Serena hesitated. Lorenzo would expect them to regroup. But time wasn't on their side.

She exhaled. To hell with waiting.

"We move alone," she whispered. "If we find what she's after, we shut it down."

Santiago's smirk returned, a glint of excitement behind his gaze. "You and me, sneaking through the vents, chasing ghosts? Romantic."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Shut up and move."

Santiago chuckled but followed her lead.

The hunt was on.

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The explosion had thrown the entire mansion into chaos.

Marco stormed through the east wing, his gun drawn, eyes scanning every corner for movement. The ringing in his ears hadn't faded since the blast, but he ignored it. Serena and Santiago were somewhere in the west wing, and they sure as hell weren't answering their earpieces.

"Where the hell are they?" Vincenzo growled beside him, his own frustration barely contained.

Lorenzo's voice came through the comms, clipped and controlled. "We've lost contact."

Matteo's voice cut in next, tense but sharp. "They were in the vents before the explosion. They could still be inside."

Marco swore under his breath. "You telling me Serena and that Spanish bastard are crawling through the goddamn walls while we're out here trying to clean up this mess?"

"Pretty much," Matteo muttered.

Marco clenched his jaw. Of course she'd do something reckless. Of course she'd go off on her own.

Vincenzo spoke up, his tone dark. "Catherine's still here. She's not trying to escape. Which means..."

Matteo exhaled sharply. "She's after something."

Lorenzo's voice held an edge of finality. "Find out what. Now."

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