Chapter 52
JACE MARINO
It's been three days and Aiko still hasn't made a move. My father hasn't said a word about her either, which means either he's pretending everything's fine or he's too busy plotting what to do next. Both are bad signs.
The men I sent to watch her said things have been quiet. Too quiet. That kind of silence usually means something is crawling under the surface, waiting for the right moment to show its teeth.
I've been functioning fine, at least that's what I tell myself. Work keeps me busy. Marco checks in every few hours. Mateo covers the logistics. And then there's Julian.
We talked last night. He sounded tired, a little off. He tried to hide it but I know him too well now. It wasn't the stress from exams. Something else happened, and he didn't want to tell me. Maybe to protect me or maybe he thought I had too much on my plate or maybe because he thinks I'll do something stupid. He's probably right about that part.
