CHAPTER 121. The bossUndercover agents and spies have one rule: "Be prepared for anything." At any time, in any place, make sure you're ready. And Zack was.When one of the SUVs cut them off, Zack knew exactly what was coming."Stay here," he ordered Gazca as he got out of the SUV.Two men got out of each vehicle, and Zack walked around his SUV to lean against the hood. He almost smiled when he saw them open the door for Mason, who stepped out like a feudal king, dressed in a suit and tie, exuding confidence."What do you want besides strutting around like a peacock and barking like the dog you are?" Zack snapped, not holding back.Mason absorbed the insult and raised his chin defiantly."I wanted to see if your supposed love for Andy wasn't enough to keep you around. But I heard you ran off two days ago and I see you're doing the same now," Mason laughed."Well... I have to do something to fix the mess you got us into. Andrea already told me you tried to frame me by planting that dr

CHAPTER 122. The Magic WordsZack nodded and prepared to drop in as the most unwelcome guest at the Rizzuto mansion.Getting there wasn’t hard, but presenting himself and undergoing their scrutiny took an hour. A long hour during which he remained impassive in a security room until they verified he was indeed the multi-champion and millionaire Zack Keller.“Follow me, Mr. Rizzuto will see you in his office,” one of the heavily armed guards said, and Zack followed silently.The Rizzuto mansion was enormous, full of hallways and galleries, and they led him through all of them until they ended up in a library. They searched him for weapons or microphones and then let him in.Vito Rizzuto was a short, chubby man in his sixties with the kindest face one could imagine, but it was all a façade. Zack knew from reliable sources that the mafioso was a cold-blooded killer.“Mr. Keller, a pleasure to meet you,” Rizzuto greeted him with a firm handshake. “Can I offer you something?”“A glass of wa

CHAPTER 123. It’s doneVito Rizzuto's face turned into a mask of rage when he saw the ruined microphone in the glass of water and heard the name of his worst enemy.“You are definitely not a smart man, Mr. Keller!” he hissed. “Are you threatening me with bringing John Hopkins to my door?”Zack adjusted his jacket and sat down.“No, Mr. Rizzuto, I’m not threatening, I’ve already brought him. Director Hopkins of CIA Organized Crime is in room 2301 of the Le Blanc hotel, less than five minutes from here,” he stated. “I asked him for help to free my wife, and he asked me to trade her for you. Unfortunately, he’s a bit inflexible and can’t be negotiated with in many things; he doesn’t understand the value of money like you and I do.”“Couldn’t you have come here without bringing him!?” the old man growled furiously.“It depends on how much of an idiot you think I am. Do you think I’d step into the house of Canada’s biggest drug lord without backup?”For a minute, the old man looked at him

CHAPTER 124. One WeekRizzuto opened his computer again and checked his account, seeing that all the money had been deposited immediately.“It seems you’re a very determined man, Mr. Keller.”“That’s right.”“Do you need any guarantees? A body part, perhaps?” the old man asked coldly.“Your word is enough for me, Mr. Rizzuto. I’m paying for it,” Zack said with a smile. “From now on, we’re unfortunately linked, so make sure you don’t get caught, because I have no desire to go to prison for a contract killing.”Vito Rizzuto stood up, smiling. The best part was knowing that now Zack Keller, more than anyone, couldn’t betray him, because he had a million-dollar transfer proving his complicity.“I will uphold my part of the deal, Mr. Keller,” Rizzuto said as he shook his hand firmly. “When you return to Vancouver, your wife will be free, and Mason Lee will never bother you again.”“That’s what I hope, and I hope we never see each other again.”With those words, Zack left the room and disap

CHAPTER 125. Love NotesAndrea woke up with the morning light peeking through the small thirty-by-thirty-centimeter square that was the window of her cell. As she stretched her arms and legs, the cold, damp air enveloped her like a cocoon. She looked around confusedly before the memories of the previous night flooded in. They had locked her in that solitary cell. She didn't know what she had done to deserve it, and a wave of fear washed over her.Tears filled her eyes as she thought of Zack. Had something gone wrong? Was he in danger? She desperately wanted to get out of that cell and find him, but she was confined and powerless.She tried to recall if she had done anything wrong, but the inmates there were all quite calm.The sound of a tray hitting the cell door jolted her out of her thoughts.“Breakfast!” announced the cold voice of a guard, and a small opening in the door was revealed.Andrea slowly approached and knelt to receive the tray. While eating, she felt something under t

CHAPTER 126. Enough!"I love it! I swear I'd take the whole store!" Chiara laughed as she held Adriana and rocked her to keep her calm. "You're beautiful, little girl, you're a doll, and your aunt is going to make you so fashionable! Right?"Noémi smiled and shook her head condescendingly. "We’re the ones who lost all the fashion," she murmured. "I don't remember the last time I left the house without heels. Hey, do you think there are baby heels?""Of course not, what would a baby do in heels?""Dress up?" Noémi shrugged. "What if we dress her up?"And off they went, looking for every princess costume in the store in a six-month size. Soon they laid her down in her stroller and started filling a shopping basket."This I did not expect!" a voice came from behind them, and they both tensed at once.They turned just in time to see the woman pick up the baby, and Chiara dropped everything in her hands."Give me the baby, Giselle," she demanded, and Noémi also set everything aside."I tho

CHAPTER 127. Love and Death.Zack ran after his brother, and soon they reached where Loan was talking to two of the men he had hired."We were watching the house, as you asked," one of them reported. "Mr. Lee had a couple of guards, like he’s had the past few days. But about an hour ago, a couple of vans arrived. Tinted windows, black, no plates... you know, cartel style.""Uh-huh. And what happened?" Zack asked hurriedly."We heard a commotion inside, then some gunshots, and they took a body out of the house in a black bag...""I swear I saw it move, it wasn’t dead," the other man said."Well, you understand, a man was in that bag. They left immediately. The mobile unit is following them; they’ll inform us as soon as they reach their destination."Zack nodded slowly, and his brothers looked at him, waiting for an order."Did you check the house?" he asked."We preferred to inform you first.""Very well, then call the police. They won’t take long to see if there are bodies and if one

CHAPTER 128 . The Creature in the DarkVito stared at him without showing any sign of mercy."That’s called 'betrayal,' Mason. You’ve been betraying our family...""Noooo... I never...""Come on, Mason, you have nothing to gain by lying now. All the evidence is here, and you know I can’t let this slide, right?" Vito declared.Mason seemed to go mad then."You can’t kill me! I’m one of yours! I’m one of your men...! I did everything you asked! I got you safe ports for human trafficking along the entire East Coast! I got you a market of buyers for the babies you kidnapped! How can you kill me?! You need me!"Vito shook his head condescendingly."That’s your mistake. You still don’t understand that in this life, no one needs anyone," he replied. "Do you at least know where you are?" he asked.Mason looked around, desperate. What had seemed like a hole in the ground now looked more like a huge vase, but he soon realized it was only half of it."You’re in a mold," Vito told him. "I have a

CHAPTER 129. We’re ready Andrea was sleepy, sleepy and cold, and only knew it was still night because of the small patch of black sky she could see through her window. But as soon as the first light appeared, the door of her cell opened.“Come on, out. Time to go,” said the guard. Andrea rubbed her eyes, not understanding. Zack had told her she would be there for a week for her protection. Why did they want her out now? “Come on! What are you waiting for?!” the woman growled from the door, and despite her fear, Andrea didn’t hesitate, because she didn’t want to be hit again.Stumbling, they pushed her into a room and handed her the clothes she had been wearing the day she was arrested.“Change if you want to get out of here. You have five minutes.”With her heart in her throat, Andrea changed immediately, and soon after, the same guard was pushing her through corridors surrounded by electrified mesh toward the prison exit. She felt like she was going to faint when that door opened a

CHAPTER 130. Good News and Bad NewsAndrea nodded but didn’t ask any more questions because she really didn’t want to know. They both fell into a silence filled with relief. They hugged each other tighter, knowing that all they had to do now was get away, and Zack tried to help Andrea sleep a little on the way.There were still a couple of hours left to reach Zurich when Zack opened his eyes, feeling warm, and placed his hand on Andrea’s forehead.“What’s wrong?” Milo asked, noticing his brother’s worried frown. “What’s the matter with her?”“Fever. She has a fever,” Zack replied, alarmed. “She’s very hot and sweating. Call the flight crew and get them to bring a fever pill.”Milo nodded and went to the back of the plane where the crew was to ask for help. A few minutes later, he returned with a pill. Zack gave it to Andrea with a glass of water, and she took the medicine without a word.A minute later, a flight attendant brought some damp cloths, and Zack tried to make Andrea rest as