At ta City Capital Prison, Rico sat on the edge of his bunk, frowning as he stared at a worn photo of lissa in his hand.
"Is that your wife?" his cellmate asked, eyeing the picture curiously.
Rico let out a bitter smile. "She’s the woman I’ve never stopped looking for. I can’t believe I might rot in this place without ever seeing her again."
His expression darkened. He had been so close, he had finally learned that lissa was living sowhere in this very country. If it weren’t for Carla’s damn case dragging him down, he might’ve reached her by now. And that lunatic Dina, pointing all the bla at him to save herself, only made things worse.
"That traitor bitch," he muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on the photo.
Suddenly a loud clang echoed through the cell block as the guard called out, "Rico Alvarez! You’ve got a visitor!"
Rico stiffened. Visitors were rare... too rare. He stood up quickly, sliding the photo into his pocket, and followed the guard through the long corridor.
When he stepped into the small visitor’s room, his eyes imdiately locked onto a man in a black leather jacket, sitting casually. Rico’s brows furrowed. He was one of his most trusted n from the old days, Nilo.
"You look like hell," Nilo greeted him with a low chuckle as Rico sat across the table.
"Cut the crap," Rico snapped. "What are you doing here?"
Nilo leaned in and lowered his voice. "I found her, boss."
Rico’s breath hitched. "lissa?"
Nilo nodded slowly. "She goes by a different na now, Crissa Reed."
Rico’s fingers curled into fists, knuckles whitening. "Crissa... Reed?"
"She’s using a new identity. Been doing it for a while now. But I had soone run a deep background search. Facial recognition matched with old photos... there’s no mistake. It’s her."
Rico’s head spun. The na felt like a slap in the face. lissa had vanished like a ghost, and now to learn she’d been living under a new na this whole ti?
"Where is she now?" he asked, his voice low but tense.
Nilo hesitated. "That’s the tricky part. She’s under the protection of the Lancasters."
Rico’s jaw clenched. "The Lancasters?" he repeated, incredulous.
Nilo nodded grimly. "Yeah. Apparently, she got mixed up with them sohow. Word is, they’re keeping her under tight security... bodyguards, armored cars, private properties. She’s not living like soone in hiding, but soone they’re invested in."
Rico leaned back, running both hands over his face in disbelief. "I can’t believe how twisted this is getting. First, Carla’s plight screws over. Then Dina throws to the wolves. And now I find out lissa’s alive... hiding behind one of the most powerful families in the country that Carla has been ssing up with?"
Rico’s mind raced. So many questions. Why the Lancasters? What’s her connection with them?
He looked Nilo in the eye. "Don’t lose sight of her. Not now. If you get any closer, don’t make contact. Just watch. I need to know everything... where she goes, who she talks to, and what’s her connection with the Lancaster."
Nilo gave a firm nod. "You got it, boss. Also, I have a ssage to relay from Tim. He said that he’ll protect you and won’t throw you off the bus like Dina as long as you keep your mouth shut and do not testify against Carla. Also, we managed to locate Miss lissa with his help."
"Tell him not to worry. As long as he helps out of this ss. I’ll do whatever he wants," Rico grunted. He couldn’t wait to get out and surprise his woman. It had been so many years, and he’s itching to get his hands on lissa. No wonder it was hard... a powerful family was backing her up. "That bjtch!" he growled in annoyance.
*****
At the far end of the monitoring room, multiple screens displayed the security footage of ta City Capital Prison. One of the feeds showed Rico in the visitation booth, speaking with a man in a black jacket.
William stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable as he watched the conversation unfold. The sharp glint in his eyes revealed that every word, every gesture between Rico and his visitor, was being carefully assessed.
Behind him, Brandon stepped forward, eyebrows drawn together with concern. "Are you sure this is wise?" he asked quietly. "Letting him think he’s one step ahead?"
William didn’t take his eyes off the screen. "It’s exactly what we want him to think."
Brandon glanced at the monitor. "That’s Nilo, right? One of Rico’s most loyal n. If he’s sniffing around your mother-in-law, then it won’t be long before the others co crawling out of their holes too."
A small smirk tugged at William’s lips. "Good. Let them co. The more desperate they get, the more careless they’ll be. I want all those bastards caught! Every one of them!"
"You’re really okay using your mother-in-law as bait?"
At that, William finally turned to face him, his gaze calm but firm. "She’s under our full protection. No one’s laying a finger on her. But if they think they’ve found a lead, they’ll start moving. And that’s exactly what Alexander and I have been waiting for."
Brandon exhaled slowly. "So this is the net."
William nodded. "A wide one. And we’ll catch every last rotten fish in it. I can’t let my mother-in-law live a life in fear forever. Yes, Rico was caught, but not all his damn underlings that I’m sure still around to look for my mother-in-law."
He looked back at the screen just as Rico was being escorted out of the visitation room.
"Rico’s the key," William murmured. "Tim and the others are still lurking in the shadows, hiding behind Carla’s ss and trying to clean up their tracks. But the mont they think Rico’s onto sothing, they’ll reach out to him."
"And when they do..." Brandon added.
William’s smile hardened. "We’ll be ready."
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