My fingers moved quickly, sending him the carrier information and the old number before doubt could slow me down.
“This is important,” I added firmly. “Please make it happen as fast as possible. It could help de-escalate this situation.”
There was a brief pause on the line.
Then, “Consider it done,” Ramiro replied without delay. “The SIM should be active within twenty-four hours.”
Relief washed through me instantly.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
The call ended.
I stood there for a moment, phone still in my hand, letting the weight of the decision settle.
A small hope now existed in the chaos.
But hope, I was learning, didn’t mean safety.
It just meant waiting.
And praying nothing shattered before it had a chance to work.
I exhaled slowly and began walking deeper into the house, my steps quieter now, more thoughtful.
The mansion no longer felt like a maze I couldn’t navigate—it felt like a structure I was beginning to understand too well.
And that understanding unsettled me.
I was heading toward my room when something pulled at me.
A door.
Small. Unassuming. Slightly set back beside my bedroom.
I stopped.
While I had been blind, I had passed it countless times without even realizing it existed.
It had blended into the architecture, just another part of the endless, polished symmetry of this house.
Now—
I saw it clearly.
And it stood out in a way that made my chest tighten faintly.
I didn’t remember ever being told what was inside.
Or if anyone had told me at all.
Curiosity won before caution could intervene.
I reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
The moment I stepped inside—
The air changed.
