Chapter 8 - THE TRAP CLOSESThe crash of the glass echoed up the curved staircase.
Elena, having just tucked Gabriel in, rushed out to the landing. She looked down and saw Alejandro standing amidst the shards of glass, his posture rigid, his face pale as death.
"Alejandro? What is it?" she called out, hurrying down the stairs. "What happened?"
He turned slowly, his eyes dark, filled with a terrifying mix of rage and dread. He held out his phone, replaying the video.
As Elena watched Isabella’s face and listened to Dr. Vance’s words, the color drained entirely from her cheeks. The nightmare was back. It hadn't ended with Julian’s arrest; it had simply mutated.
"They have the backup keys," Elena whispered, her hands shaking. "If they trigger an abduction investigation... they can take Gabriel away from me. They can use my old forged clinic papers to prove I fled across state lines illegally."
"They won't get the chance," Alejandro said, his voice dropping into a tone so cold it made the air in the room freeze. He reached into his jacket, pulling out his service pistol and checking the magazine with practiced precision. "I'm ending this. Tonight."
"No, Alejandro, stop!" Elena grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with panic. "That’s what they want! They want you to go rogue, to use violence so they can use it as leverage against you in court! If you hunt them down like a criminal, you play right into their hands!"
"Then what do you suggest we do, Elena?" he snapped, the desperation breaking through his icy composure. "Sit here and wait for them to steal our son? Let them use you as a pawn again?"
"We don't wait," Elena said, her voice suddenly steadying, a sharp, brilliant clarity settling over her features. She looked at him, the former nurse, the survivor, the woman who had outsmarted a hospital board and hid from a billionaire. "We set our own trap."
Alejandro stopped, staring at her. "What are you talking about?"
"Dr. Vance is greedy, but he’s arrogant. He thinks he’s the smartest man in the room," Elena said, stepping closer, her mind racing with tactical precision. "He wants the fifty million? Let’s offer it to him. But not through a wire transfer. Through a public escrow account tied directly to the federal financial crimes task force."
May you like
Alejandro’s eyes widened as the strategy clicked into place. "A sting."
"Exactly," Elena nodded. "We lure them back to the city. We let Isabella think she’s winning. And when they show up to claim the encryption keys in person... the FBI is already waiting."
