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She sighed heavily.
“Okay, fine. You want to know that now? I’m going to tell you now,” she said. “But I wish we were getting out of this.”
“Well, unless you have a couple of brilliant ideas,” I whisper shouted back. “Then I don’t know what we’re going to do beyond talking to each other.”
“Fine. Look, Adriana,” Carmen’s voice was a low whisper, filled with urgency. “The truth is, there was embezzlement. And it wasn’t Dad. It was me.”
My heart thudded heavily in my chest as her words sank in. “What?” I asked, disbelief lacing my tone.
Carmen nodded, her fiery red hair a stark contrast to the grim set of her jaw. “Yes. I was livid because, fuck, because Dad tried to force me into marrying Nick Rossi. After Tristan backed off from marrying you, he wanted to solidify his position. He didn’t know you were pregnant, and he thought this meant that there was a Callahan attack on the horizon. So he thought he would cover his bases, get me to marry Nick Rossi. Like I said, babe, this was after Tristan pulled away from your engagement.” She paused, her green eyes searching mine. “I wanted to tell you when you got back, but... I wasn’t sure if you’d believe me. And with everything so uncertain between you and Tristan, I didn’t want to pile on more for you to question.”
A mix of appreciation and annoyance swirled within me. “I wish you had told me,” I said, the edge in my voice sharper than I intended. “I could’ve been more cautious. Prepared.”
As we spoke, Liam had been quiet, his young face shadowed with thoughts far too heavy for his age. Suddenly, he chimed in, breaking the tension. “Hey, guys, I know you have a lot to sort out, but maybe you can continue this conversation later?”
I rolled my eyes. “What do you suggest we do?”
“I don’t know. But I’ve got a blade in my jeans pocket.”
Our heads snapped toward him, hope surging through me at the possibility of escape. “Can you reach it?” I asked, trying to mask the desperation in my voice.
“No, but you should be able to,” Liam murmured, shifting discreetly. “It’s small, but it should do the trick.”
“Good,” I breathed out. “We’ll need every advantage we can get.”
With careful movements, we strategized our next move, knowing that freedom—and the chance to right the wrongs entangling our families—was now glinting within reach, hidden in the fabric of Liam’s denim.
The room was quiet, save for the soft tap of fingers on a phone screen. Diamond seemed engrossed in his device, shoulders hunched over as he texted someone likely oblivious to our plans. His guard down, it was our chance.
“Slide it out slowly,” I whispered to Liam, whose eyes were fixed on Diamond, watching for any sign of detection. He nodded once, subtly reaching into his pocket.
I leaned closer under the pretense of comfort, my hand sneaking towards his waist. My fingers brushed against the stiff denim, feeling the outline of the blade tucked away. It took every ounce of control not to rush, not to let my urgency betray us.
“Got it?” Carmen’s voice was barely audible, her gaze locked onto the supposed lawyer who continued to tap away at his phone.
“Almost.” The word came out strained as I fiddled with the blade, struggling with the angle. But finally, the cool metal slid into my palm, and I let out a silent sigh of relief.
“Careful,” Liam muttered, shifting his weight to obscure Diamond’s view as I maneuvered the blade towards the rope binding my wrists.
As I began to saw through the rough fibers, the fear of getting caught sent a spike of adrenaline through my veins. The rope resisted, each strand stubbornly clinging to the next.
Then, Diamond’s movements stilled, and I froze. He lifted his head, his sharp gaze scanning the room like a hawk. Panic flared within me, but before it could take hold, Liam coughed loudly, drawing Diamond’s attention to him.
“Got a problem with the accommodation?” Diamond’s voice was laced with sarcasm.
“Could use a drink,” Liam said with a crooked grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Ha,” Diamond snorted, seemingly satisfied with the distraction. “You’ll get nothing from me.”
“Was worth a shot,” Liam replied, easing back into his casual facade.
Carmen jumped in, her tone light, but her words carried an edge. “Really, Diamond, loosen up. We’re all friends here, right?”
His smirk was thin as he turned back to his phone, his focus shifting away from us again.
I resumed cutting, the blade now slicing more urgently against the rope as I worked through the tension. Beside me, Carmen kept up her chatter, filling the silence with trivialities that somehow held Diamond’s fleeting interest.
After what felt like an eternity, the rope gave way, fraying until it parted under the pressure of the blade. A wave of triumph washed over me, but there was no time to savor the victory—not with freedom so close, yet still hanging by a thread.
