CHAPTER 111. The Perfect MomentMason drummed his fingers on the kitchen counter. He had been waiting for hours for the man he was told could handle the job. He was furious, anxious to hear what his contact had to say. Finally, there was a knock at the door, and a short, scrawny, utterly insignificant-looking man with a suitcase greeted him.“I’m not buying anything,” Mason growled, but before he could close the door, the man stopped him.“But I am for sale, for a good price, of course.”Mason frowned.“You’re the one they call 'Rat'?” he asked incredulously.“The one and only,” the man smiled.Mason tensed, his heart racing as he let him in.“Tell me you’re good for something.”“What I can do will cost you double what you offered. Zack Keller is a complicated target. His apartment is a fortress, his building is full of cameras, and his parking lot is completely private,” the man replied. “He’s always on the move, and his office is no longer easily accessible. The building is very wel

CHAPTER 112. You have to be quiet..."You're an incredible man," she said, setting the suitcase aside and hugging him.He held her tightly and promised he would never let anyone separate them. Andrea kissed him in response, her tears slowly rolling down her face. Once again, Zack had saved her in ways he couldn’t even imagine. She knew their lives would change forever, but she felt like she already had everything she wanted in the world.They couldn’t resist the impulse to cling to each other. The kiss was passionate, their lips meeting in a perfect melody only they could understand.“I want to take it slow,” Zack murmured as his mouth traveled down her neck to her breasts, and Andrea gasped, tilting her head back.“Liar! You’re going to lose control just like always,” she accused, feeling her body start to tense and vibrate.“Maybe, but at least this time I have the intention.”Zack undressed her completely and kissed her desperately. Every part of her skin was a delight to his sense

CHAPTER 113. We have a problemAs they began their little road trip, Zack and Andrea headed north, and the landscape changed quickly. The air smelled of pine, and the sky was brighter. They drove with the windows down, the wind in their faces, while Zack sang along with the radio and Adriana laughed in her car seat in the back.After an hour, they left the highway for a gravel road and drove a few more miles until they reached Mrs. Wilson's residence. It was a small, picturesque villa surrounded by grass and trees. As they approached, they saw numerous elderly people exercising in the garden, while others relaxed in rocking chairs and patio seats.Mrs. Wilson greeted them with open arms and a huge smile on her face.“But how big the princess has grown!” she exclaimed upon seeing Adriana, and the baby must have recognized her immediately because she refused to leave her lap the entire time they were there.She talked about her life at the residence and the new friends she had made.“Th

CHAPTER 114. A Trap—What happened? Is Andrea alright? —he asked, his heart in his throat.—Health-wise, yes, but the police stopped her truck at a roadblock and are arresting her right now —the bodyguard told him—. It doesn’t look like a simple ticket... it seems more serious.—Follow the patrol and tell me which station they’re taking her to! —exclaimed Zack, and then everything around him became urgent calls and haste.Andrea, on her part, had no idea what it was about until one of the police officers instructed her to pull over to the side of the road. The truth was, everyone sped past until they reached her. She frowned when she saw them releasing dogs around the car and rolled down the window to hear an officer ask her to get out of the vehicle.That’s when the nightmare began.The police searched the truck thoroughly. Andrea didn’t understand; it was as if they knew there was something illegal there. In what seemed like an eternity, they started moving things around and pulled

CHAPTER 115. I want my call and my lawyerAndrea was furious when she saw Mason enter the interrogation room. She knew he was out for revenge, and now she knew where it was coming from.—Bastard! It was you! —she exclaimed, standing up because she had no doubt that this was Mason’s doing.He gestured to the police officers, who immediately left the room, leaving them alone.—You’re not the only one with good contacts in the police —he said, turning off the small camera inside the room—. Turns out if you pay enough, you can get a lot of help from the honorable Police Department of this city.Andrea clenched her fists in helplessness.—You’re a criminal, and you’re going to pay for this! Zack won’t sit quietly while you frame me! —she spat with hatred. Mason had set a trap for his own benefit; what Andrea didn’t know was that she was just the bait.Mason looked at her with disdain, daring her to do something, and smiled cynically.—Well, the truth is, the evidence is irrefutable. Two ki

CHAPTER 116. The Hardest Decision"Don't let me go," she said in the most controlled voice she could manage."I'm not going to, love, we're going to fix this, I promise...""Zack!" she interrupted him, hiding her face in the crook of his neck and speaking very low so only he could hear her. "Listen to me... you have to take Adriana."Zack tried to pull back to look her in the eyes, but she didn't let him."Listen to me! They're going to take her... I can't explain now, but they're going to take her. Mason will hurt her. You have to take her..." she sobbed in desperation. "The suitcase at the house... Plan B in case things didn't go well... you have to do it.""Andrea...!""You have to do it! You have to keep her safe. Promise me..."When Zack pulled back, his eyes were filled with tears."I can't leave you alone...""Yes, you can! You can because she comes first!" Andrea replied, looking him in the eyes. "Our daughter comes first! Promise me!"Zack felt as if the ground was opening up

CHAPTER 117. We’ll take care of herNoémi stood petrified at the door while she stared at Zack, who was standing at the threshold with a suitcase and a baby in his arms. When Chiara joined her out of curiosity, the shock was mutual.“Zack...? What are you doing here?” she stammered.“You better sit down,” he said, entering the house. “We need to talk.”The twins looked at each other, but after noticing he was alone, they closed the door and followed him to the living room.“If I'm here, it's because I need your help.”“What do you mean?” Noémi asked. “What's going on?”Telling them everything that was happening, unfortunately, included a much longer story that he couldn't gloss over.“See? I told you!” Chiara exclaimed, standing up. “I knew she wasn’t your daughter, and there you were, lying to our faces!”“Who the hell cares that she’s not my biological daughter, Chiara?” Zack snapped. “She’s still my family, and I’m going to take care of her. That’s why I’m here—because her mother i

CHAPTER 118. Two Incompetents and a Baby"Is everything okay? Did something happen to Adriana?" Zack asked worriedly, but as soon as Chiara put the phone camera on, he could see the little girl crawling all over the apartment."She's fine, but we are never having kids..." Noémi mumbled, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "I wanted to ask you something really important... why does she poop so much?"Zack stifled a laugh and decided not to ask exactly what that stain on her eyebrow was. It was enough to see how disheveled she looked!"It's normal. Babies are like that, but if things get too difficult, you can hire a specialized nurse," Zack responded. "Did she finish her bottle?""Well... she drank about half of it..." his sister murmured."And what happened to the other half?" Zack asked."Chiara is using it for her wet T-shirt contest," Noémi said, and Zack understood perfectly that she had been splashed with the bottle.In the background, he heard shouts, and a minute lat

CHAPTER 119. The Worst of Them All"I just need one name. Just one," Zack demanded in his next call with lawyer Gazca. "Every man fears someone, Licenciado, and Mr. Rizzuto is no exception."Gazca had given him that name: John Hopkins.Four hours later, Zack found himself sitting in an all-white, brightly lit office at the Langley headquarters in Virginia. All he had to do was mention that name and Rizzuto's in the same sentence to be immediately brought to the man himself."Are you sure you want to do this?" the agent asked suspiciously. Zack understood; it wasn’t every day someone walked into the CIA claiming they wanted to help capture the biggest mafia boss in Montreal. "Why don't you be honest with me and tell me what you have against Vito Rizzuto?"Zack took a small notepad and wrote down two words: "Andrea Brand.""Look her up and I’ll tell you why I’m here."John Hopkins stood up and immediately began making calls. He was a serious, stern man, around thirty-five years old, wit

CHAPTER 120. Never ever!Shortly after, Zack was flying back to Vancouver. He felt more at ease, but even so, his heart raced when he arrived at the jail."Sorry, we couldn't keep her at the station," Gazca apologized. "For now, she's in minimum-security prison awaiting trial. I got us a visit as her lawyer, let's go."Zack didn't say a word as they checked in to enter, just trying to contain the rage that all of this caused him.When they reached the private visiting room, Zack was surprised by what he found. She was sitting in the chair with her head in her hands and an utterly exhausted look on her face, but her eyes lit up when she saw him. She stood up and ran to him, hugging him tightly and crying."Shhh..." he said, stroking her hair as he held her close to his chest. "It's over, everything's okay now. Adriana is safe, I promise."Andrea nodded while still sobbing. Zack's presence was all she needed to finally let go and unload the weight from her shoulders. He gently wiped awa