The rain had been falling for hours, a constant, restless tapping against the wide glass windows of Anthony's room. It was the kind of rain that carried a warning, the kind that seeped into the bones and whispered that something was coming. The sky was a dull, bruised gray, and the distant rumble of thunder seemed to echo the heaviness in his chest.
Anthony sat on the edge of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees, the phone pressed to his ear. He had been speaking to Sindy for nearly half an hour, though silence had fallen between them in the last few minutes. In that silence, the sound of her breathing reached him—soft, steady, and strangely soothing against the storm's backdrop.
Finally, her voice broke through, quiet but weighted with meaning.
"Anthony… what would you do if you knew you'd lose me unless you acted right now?"
His heart gave a jolt. He wasn't sure if it was the question or the way she asked it—like she was asking more than she was saying. "I'd…" He hesitated, his voice tightening. "I'd do whatever it took to keep you. Anything."
A pause, then a sigh. "Then you understand why Ana left."
The name was a blade to his chest. His sister's face flashed in his mind—her stubborn chin, her fire, the way she could laugh even in the darkest of times. "I understand," he said at last, his tone lower, almost reluctant, "but that doesn't mean I agree with her choice."
Sindy's voice softened, but there was steel beneath it. "Sometimes love doesn't care if you agree, Anthony. It's not a debate—it's a pull you can't ignore."
He swallowed, staring out at the rain-smeared world beyond the glass. "Maybe. But she's not safe."
"Neither are you," Sindy murmured. "You just don't see it yet."
Before he could respond, a knock broke the moment. He turned toward the door, lowering his voice. "I'll call you later."
"Promise?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"I promise," he said, and he meant it.
He ended the call and crossed the room, opening the door to find Sara standing there. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, her hair tied back loosely, dark circles under her eyes.
"I found something," she said without a greeting.
Anthony straightened, tension creeping into his posture. "Go on."
"Javier tracked Ana and Kaspy. They're in a small coastal town—living under false names, working in a café. Keeping a low profile."
The words made his pulse quicken. "Then we go get her. Tonight."
Sara shook her head sharply. "If we show up without warning, she'll run again. You know she will. We have to be careful."
"She's my sister—"
"And she's my friend," Sara cut in, her voice firm, her gaze locking onto his. "I know what it's like to be trapped, Anthony. To lose everything. If we drag her back without her trust, we'll lose her for good."
Anthony turned away, gripping the edge of his desk so tightly his knuckles whitened. The rain outside roared harder, like the sky itself was pushing against him. "So what do you suggest?"
"I'll go first," Sara said. "Alone. She'll trust me more than she'll trust you or Nick. Once I've convinced her it's safe, I'll call you."
He didn't like it, but deep down he knew she was right. He nodded stiffly, though every muscle in him screamed to act now.
Far from the warmth of Anthony's home, in a modest apartment overlooking the restless ocean, Ana sat curled in a chair by the window. The salt-laced wind rattled the shutters, carrying the scent of the coming storm. The moon was little more than a pale smear behind clouds.
Kaspy was asleep in the next room, his steady breathing a faint comfort. But Ana's mind wouldn't rest. That morning, she had seen a man she didn't recognize—a stranger across the street. He hadn't moved for nearly ten minutes, just stood there watching, his eyes sharp and assessing, the kind of stare that stripped away the pretense of safety.
She hadn't told Kaspy. Not yet. The thought of his reaction—his anger, his instinct to protect her—made her hesitate. But the image of the man wouldn't leave her, and with it came the cold certainty that the life they had built here was fragile, breakable with a single touch.
At the harbor, cloaked in shadows, a black car waited with its engine off. Inside, Adam sat in the driver's seat, his fingers drumming a slow, deliberate rhythm on the steering wheel. The faint glow of the dashboard lit his face in an eerie half-light. His eyes were fixed on the road that led to Ana's apartment.
"She won't see it coming," he murmured to himself, a cruel edge to his smile. "By the time they realize, she'll already be mine."
Lightning split the sky, illuminating the water in a brief, blinding flash. In that moment, it felt as though the storm had chosen its side. And it wasn't hers.