Julian’s hand trembled as he held the silver band with its intricate sapphire filigree—the ring he had slipped onto Charlotte’s finger fifteen years ago

Camila dropped the ledger, horror suffocating her. "Richard Vance... he threatened my family. Mateo took the money to protect us!"

"Richard didn't just sabotage my car," Julian said, his jaw tight with fury. "He paid Mateo to keep quiet, and when Mateo got too nervous, Richard had him poisoned."

Before Julian could say another word, the metal door of the storage unit slammed down shut, plunging them into total darkness.

The heavy click of a padlock locking from the outside rang through the thin walls.

"Julian!" Camila screamed, pulling Sofia close to her chest as the little girl began to cry.

"Stay back!" Julian shouted, throwing his shoulder against the heavy steel door. It didn't budge.

From the other side of the shutter, a muffled, chilling voice echoed. It wasn't Richard Vance—it was one of the private security guards who had accompanied Richard to the mansion earlier that morning.

"Mr. Vance sends his regards, Hargrove," the guard called out. "You should have stayed in your mansion and played the grieving widower. Now you're going to die in a warehouse fire, just like your family."

Camila heard the distinct smell of gasoline being poured beneath the crack of the metal door. The fumes instantly filled the small, airtight space. Sofia began to cough violently.

"Julian, the gas!" Camila cried out. "We can't breathe!"

Julian looked around frantically in the dim light of his smartphone screen. The storage unit had no windows, but near the top rear wall, there was a small ventilation duct leading to the neighboring unit.

"Camila, give me your coat!" Julian demanded. He slammed his heavy steel flashlight against the metal mesh of the vent, bending the aluminum frame open. "I can lift you up! You're small enough to fit through!"