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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.