Chapter 2 - Sanctuary in the Dark
The night air was cool as they stepped out of the suffocating mansion and into the driveway. Leo ushered Mariana and the girls into the back of a waiting armored SUV.
Inside, the heavy silence was broken only by the soft, rhythmic breathing of the three girls. Exhausted by the trauma, they quickly fell asleep, piled together in the plush leather seats. Mariana clutched the lapels of Leo’s oversized jacket, her mind a chaotic blur of shattered crystal, stinging cheeks, and screaming voices.
Leo drove in silence, his jaw tight, navigating the winding roads away from the sprawling estate and toward the city's glittering skyline. He eventually pulled into the highly secure, underground garage of a sleek high-rise.
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"We're here," he said softly. "You're safe now, Mariana."
He carried the two older girls, while Mariana held the youngest. The penthouse was expansive, warm, and bathed in soft light. He guided them to a quiet guest wing, prepped with clean linens. For the first time in her adult life, Mariana locked a bedroom door without the lingering dread of who might demand entry.
