Chapter 23
Chapter 23: The Viper's Nest
That evening, the Vargas estate in Las Lomas was suffocatingly quiet. Isabella sat at the massive mahogany dining table, pushing her food around her plate. Her six-year-old son, Leo, was upstairs asleep.
Senator Alejandro Vargas sat at the head of the table, cutting his steak with precise, aggressive movements. He was a handsome man, but his charm was entirely synthetic. Beneath the polished exterior was a man of explosive, violent temper.
"You were out long today," Alejandro said without looking up. "My driver said you went to Polanco. Shopping?"
Isabella’s heart hammered against her ribs. She forced herself to take a slow breath, remembering Renata’s instructions. Be boring. Be submissive. Do not change your routine.
"Yes," Isabella replied, keeping her eyes downcast. "I needed a new dress for the charity gala tomorrow night."
Alejandro finally looked up. His dark eyes narrowed, scanning her face for any micro-expression of deceit. He wiped his mouth with a linen napkin, stood up, and slowly walked over to her side of the table. He leaned down, placing his heavy hands on her shoulders. The grip was just tight enough to hurt.
"You know I worry about you, my love," he whispered against her ear, his breath hot. "The city is dangerous. People get desperate. Wives who wander too far from their husbands tend to get lost."
He released her and walked out of the dining room, leaving Isabella trembling.
Once she heard the heavy door of his study click shut, she reached into her pocket, pulling out the burner phone Elias had given her. She typed a single, encrypted message.
He suspects something. It has to be tomorrow night during the gala.
May you like
Ten seconds later, the screen lit up with a reply from Renata.
Pack nothing but Leo's documents. We are coming.
