The moment I said his name, the air around us shifted. Clara tensed beside me, her grip tightening on my hand, but my focus remained locked on the figure across the street.
Leo.
I hadn’t seen him in years, not since before everything in my life had spiraled into chaos. And now, here he was, standing in the shadows, staring up at me like I was the ghost.
“Who the hell is Leo?” Clara repeated, her voice sharp, pulling me back to the present.
I swallowed, my throat dry. “He’s… someone from my past.”
Clara’s eyes flickered between me and the man below. “And why does he look like he just saw a ghost?”
Because I was supposed to be dead.
Leo took a step forward, his movements slow, calculated. He was waiting for me to acknowledge him.
“We need to go downstairs,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.
Clara’s grip on my wrist tightened. “Are you insane? We don’t know if he’s a threat.”
I turned to face her, meeting her gaze with a seriousness I hoped she understood. “If Leo wanted me dead, he would’ve never let me see him.”
She hesitated but nodded, following me inside.
We moved through the apartment quietly, making sure neither Evelyn nor Marcelo woke up. The last thing I needed was them asking a million questions before I had any answers myself.
When we stepped outside, Leo was still there, leaning against a streetlight.
He looked older, more hardened. His once boyish features were sharper, his dark hair now slightly longer, and his stance carried the weight of someone who had seen too much.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then, finally, he let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “Of all the places in this city, I never thought I’d see you here.”
“Trust me,” I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest. “I didn’t plan this either.”
His eyes flickered to Clara, assessing her before returning to me. “Who’s your friend?”
Clara crossed her arms, her posture immediately defensive. “Girlfriend.”
Leo raised an eyebrow, looking mildly impressed but unsurprised. “Huh.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not the point, Leo.”
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “You disappeared, Bela. I thought you were dead.”
I bit my lip. “I almost was.”
His jaw tightened. “And Richard?”
Clara stiffened beside me. I didn’t answer immediately.
Leo sighed, glancing around as if scanning for threats. “Come on. This isn’t the place for this conversation.”
Clara and I exchanged a look before reluctantly following him down the street.
Leo led us to a small, quiet bar, one that looked like it hadn’t seen new customers in years. He ordered a drink, and I barely touched mine, my focus locked on him.
“You have five minutes,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Talk.”
Leo smirked. “Still as impatient as ever.”
I wasn’t in the mood for games.
“Richard is alive,” he finally said, and the weight of the words slammed into my chest like a hammer.
I had expected it. I had prepared for it. But hearing it confirmed still sent a chill through me.
Clara exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “That bastard really doesn’t die, does he?”
Leo leaned forward. “He’s keeping a low profile. After what you pulled, he’s regrouping, planning something big.”
I frowned. “How do you know?”
He hesitated, and that’s when I realized—Leo wasn’t just here to warn me.
“He reached out to you, didn’t he?” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Leo met my gaze, unflinching. “He doesn’t know I found you.”
Clara’s fingers dug into my thigh under the table. “So why are you here?”
Leo exhaled. “Because I want to take him down too.”
I leaned back, studying him carefully. “And why should I trust you?”
“Because,” he said, his voice dead serious, “I owe you.”
Leo and I had a history. Not romantic, not exactly family, but something in between. We had grown up in the same mess, learned how to survive the same way. And once upon a time, I had saved his life.
Now, he was here to return the favor.
Clara was still skeptical, her posture stiff beside me. “You’re asking us to believe you just switched sides?”
Leo smirked. “I never said I was on his side to begin with.”
I sighed, rubbing my temple. “So what’s his next move?”
Leo’s face darkened. “Richard wants revenge. And he’s not just looking for you, Bela. He’s looking for everyone you care about.”
My blood ran cold.
Evelyn. Marcelo.
Clara.
I felt her tense beside me, as if realizing the same thing at the same time.
Leo took another sip of his drink. “He’s waiting for the right moment. But I figured if I found you first, maybe you’d have a plan.”
Clara let out a humorless laugh. “A plan? We just got out of hell. We were finally breathing again.”
Leo tilted his head. “Then I guess you’ll have to decide what’s more important—breathing or surviving.”
The words settled heavily between us.
Because deep down, I already knew.
We weren’t done.
Not yet.
Back at the apartment, Marcelo and Evelyn were waiting.
I hadn’t even closed the door before Evelyn turned her screen toward me. “You need to see this.”
I leaned in, my stomach twisting.
It was an email. No sender. No trace. Just a single line of text.
Did you really think you won?
And attached to the message.
A picture of Clara and me from earlier that night.
Outside the bar.
Someone had been watching us.
Clara’s voice was quiet, but I heard the fear beneath it. “It’s him.”
And just like that, our moment of peace shattered into a thousand pieces.