CHAPTER 6: THE LOYALTY TEST
The world moved faster after Dominic Rossi died.
Too fast.
Sarah felt it in the way the news cycles churned through his name, in the way whispered condolences turned into strategic meetings, in the way power rearranged itself around an absence like vultures around a carcass.
Lorenzo Rossi did not wait.
By noon, he stood in front of cameras, dressed in black, voice calm, eyes dry.
“A tragic loss,” he said. “But the family endures.”
Sarah watched the broadcast from the blue house, Dominic sitting beside her in silence, hood pulled low, face gaunt but alive.
“He’s lying,” she said.
Dominic didn’t look at the screen. “He always does.”
THE FIRST MESSAGE
It arrived that afternoon.
Not from Lorenzo.
From someone much closer.
Unknown Number:
You did well last night.
Sarah’s stomach dropped.
She stared at the phone, pulse racing.
“How do they know?” she whispered.
Dominic’s eyes sharpened. “Let me see.”
She handed it to him.
He read the message once. Then again.
Then smiled.
A humorless, dangerous smile.
“That,” he said, “is Lorenzo’s mistake.”
Sarah frowned. “How?”
“He wouldn’t praise you,” Dominic replied. “He would threaten you.”
“So who is it?”
Dominic’s gaze darkened. “Someone testing you.”
THE OFFER
The phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number:
You were loyal when it mattered. People like that are valuable.
Sarah’s fingers went cold.
“They think I betrayed you,” she said.
Dominic nodded. “They think you let me die.”
A pause.
Then—
Unknown Number:
Meet me tonight. Alone. If you want protection.
Sarah’s chest tightened.
“They want to recruit me,” she whispered.
Dominic’s jaw clenched.
“And?”
She met his eyes. “And you want me to say yes.”
Silence fell.
Finally, Dominic spoke. “I want you to survive.”
“And you?” she asked softly.
“I already died,” he replied.
The words landed heavy.
THE PLAN INSIDE THE PLAN
They argued in low voices.
Sarah pacing. Dominic watching.
“I can’t just walk into this blind,” she said.
“You won’t,” Dominic replied. “You’ll walk in as bait.”
She stopped. “You’re enjoying this.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “A little.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”
“And you,” he countered, “are about to find out how powerful you look from the other side.”
They prepared carefully.
No weapons. No wires. No mistakes.
Sarah memorized her story: grief, shock, fear. A maid who had done what she was told and been discarded afterward.
“She must believe she’s alone,” Dominic said.
“I am alone,” Sarah replied quietly.
He met her gaze. “Not anymore.”
THE MEETING
The diner sat at the edge of town, its neon sign flickering like a dying pulse.
Sarah slid into the booth, heart pounding.
Five minutes passed.
Then the bell over the door rang.
The man who entered looked ordinary.
Too ordinary.
Brown jacket. Scuffed boots. Face you’d forget in an hour.
He sat across from her without asking.
“You’re braver than you look,” he said.
“Or stupid,” Sarah replied.
He smiled. “Usually the same thing.”
He introduced himself as Marcus.
Not his real name.
“Lorenzo is consolidating,” Marcus said. “And you’re suddenly interesting.”
“Why?” Sarah asked.
“You were there when Dominic Rossi died.”
Her jaw tightened.
“And you walked away alive,” Marcus continued. “That makes you useful.”
“Useful for what?”
“For knowing when to stay quiet,” he said. “And when to speak.”
Sarah leaned back. “And if I say no?”
Marcus’s smile faded.
“Then you’re a loose end.”
THE TEST
Marcus slid an envelope across the table.
“Open it.”
Inside was a photo.
Dr. Alvarez. Leaving her clinic.
Sarah’s breath caught.
“You’ve been busy,” Marcus said lightly.
“This is your test,” he continued. “Confirm your loyalty.”
Sarah’s voice shook. “How?”
“Give us Dominic Rossi’s body.”
The world tilted.
“What?” she whispered.
“We want proof,” Marcus said. “The body. Or what’s left of it.”
Sarah’s pulse roared in her ears.
“He was cremated,” she lied.
Marcus’s eyes didn’t blink. “Then show us where.”
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
Sarah stood.
Her legs felt weak, but her spine stayed straight.
“You don’t need a maid,” she said. “You need a fool.”
Marcus frowned.
“You’re not as clever as you think,” she continued. “If you had proof Dominic was alive, you’d already be killing me.”
Silence fell between them.
Then Marcus laughed.
Soft. Genuine.
“Well played,” he said.
He leaned back.
“That answer,” he said, “was the right one.”
Sarah exhaled slowly.
“Welcome aboard,” Marcus added.
THE PRICE OF PASSING
That night, Sarah returned to the blue house shaking.
Dominic was waiting.
“They tested you,” he said immediately.
“And I passed,” she replied.
He nodded once.
“What did it cost?”
She hesitated.
“They’re watching Dr. Alvarez.”
His expression hardened.
“Then we move her,” he said.
Sarah’s eyes widened. “Tonight?”
“Yes.”
She swallowed. “We’re ruining lives.”
Dominic met her gaze, unflinching.
“No,” he said. “Lorenzo did. We’re just refusing to let him finish the job.”
Sarah nodded slowly.
She had crossed another line.
This one darker than the last.
ELSEWHERE
In the city, Lorenzo Rossi studied a list of names.
At the top: Sarah Jenkins.
“She’s adaptable,” he murmured. “I underestimated her.”
May you like
He smiled.
“That won’t happen again.”
