CHAPTER 181: CHAPTER 181 SOMETHING IS WRONG

Bella bit her lip and smiled faintly. "I like helping people..."

"I know you do," Marla chuckled gently as she opened a fresh bandage roll, her hands practiced but soft. "You always have. I remember that highway accident three years ago—you helped more people than the ambulance crew did. Thin little thing, bleeding all over, dragging strangers out of shattered cars like you didn’t even feel the pain."

Bella blushed.

***

Across the city, smoke clung to the walls of the old industrial zone like a second skin. The warehouse near the port had gone silent. The crates were secured, the floor littered with signs of a fight—burn marks, scattered shell casings, and the faint tang of gunpowder still heavy in the air.

Leonardo stood outside the warehouse doors, his black suit coated in dust, a few bloodstains darkening the sleeve where his knuckles had split. His tie hung loose around his neck, collar undone. The harsh gleam of overhead lamps cast sharp shadows across his face, but his eyes were darker still—cold, unreadable, locked on a distant point in the gravel as if he hadn’t truly returned from the chaos yet.

A few feet away, Jay was catching his breath, pink suit wrinkled, shirt halfway untucked, the edge of a bruise darkening beneath his jaw. He wiped sweat from his brow and tried to stretch his neck, still stiff from ducking under flying debris.

One of their guards approached quickly. "Warehouse secured. All crates accounted for. Pablo’s men backed off after the warning shots."

Leonardo said nothing.

Jay glanced sideways at his brother, reading the tightness in his jaw, the way his fists refused to unclench.

"Bro," he said, lowering his voice, "we got lucky tonight. Could’ve gone sideways real fast."

Leonardo didn’t even blink. His eyes stayed on the ground.

"He was here," he said finally, voice flat. "Pablo. I saw the tire tracks. He planned this whole thing... watched us. Then disappeared."

Jay’s grin faded. "Yeah. He always runs."

"We didn’t get him," Leonardo muttered, eyes narrowing. "We cleaned up the mess but the disease is still alive. Next time, he won’t miss."

Jay fell silent, lips pressed in a line. He wanted to say they did what they could. That this was still a win. But even he knew better than to argue when Leo had that look.

Leonardo ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back roughly as he looked toward the darkened docks. The shipping containers stood in neat rows, unmoved, gleaming faintly beneath the moonlight.

"Tell the team to move everything. Tonight," he said quietly.

Jay blinked. "You’re relocating the entire operation? Right now?"

"Yes." Leonardo’s voice was firm, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "If Pablo knew this address, he might know others. I’m not taking any chances."

Jay exhaled. "Alright. I’ll get everyone moving. We can shift to Dock Point Eleven. The older one near the cliffs—there’s space."

Leonardo gave a small nod, but didn’t respond. His thoughts had drifted.

Just for a second, his eyes lost focus. Bella.

Jay noticed the shift. "You good?"

"I’m fine," Leonardo said quickly, almost too quickly. "Get it done. I’ll meet you there."

Without another word, he walked toward the SUV parked at the edge of the lot. The wind had picked up, carrying the scent of burnt metal as it tugged at his shirt collar. His fists were still clenched—rage hadn’t faded yet. But something else was building too. A pressure in his chest. He didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t feel good.

The two brothers slid into the backseat of the black SUV, the leather cool against their backs as the door shut behind them. The warehouse was behind them now, quiet, but the smell and the weight of the night clung to both of them.

Jay groaned, leaning back and rubbing his eyes. "I swear, I aged five years tonight. I’m never skipping sleep again."

Leonardo didn’t respond.

His eyes were on the road, expression unreadable.

Jay reached for his phone just to check the time—and froze.

"...Seventy-eight missed calls?" he muttered aloud, scrolling through his notifications. "Bella. Bella. Bella. Driver. Bella again. What the hell—?"

Leonardo glanced over and immediately pulled out his own phone. One tap. Then another.

110 missed calls..

Mostly Bella. Others from his driver, a few from his men. Some from his mother. The rest blurred together.

Jay looked up, alarmed. "You too?"

Leonardo nodded once, his jaw already tensing. "Something’s wrong."

He dialed her number instantly, pressing the phone to his ear.

Ring.

Ring.

No answer.

He tried again. Still nothing.

Jay tried as well. "It’s off."

A cold feeling slid through Leonardo’s spine. His hands moved quickly as he dialed his mother.

The call connected on the first ring.

"Mom—where’s Bella?" His voice was sharp now, edged with panic that slipped through even though he was trying to stay calm.

There was a pause.

Then Lina’s voice came through—low, shaken, tired.

"Leo..."

His stomach dropped.

"What happened?"

"There was a car accident," she said quietly, and he could already hear the strain in her voice. "Emilio and Reyna... it was serious. They’re in critical care."

Leonardo’s heart pounded. "And Bella?"

"She was with them," Lina whispered. "She saved them. Pulled them out before the car exploded. If she hadn’t—" her voice broke. "They wouldn’t have survived."

Leonardo’s world stilled.

Jay saw his brother’s expression shift instantly. From cold... to alarmed.

"What is it? What happened?" he asked, already sitting upright.

Leonardo’s voice was tight. "Alexa’s parents were in a crash. Bella was with them."

"What?!"

He didn’t wait to explain.

Leonardo pressed the intercom button. "Change route. St. Clarion General Hospital. Now."

"Yes, sir."

The car swerved, speeding through the quiet city streets.

Jay stared at his phone, shaking his head. "She called us so many times. We didn’t even answer."

Leonardo didn’t speak..but the way he sat—tense, shoulders stiff, eyes sharp—said enough.

**

The SUV screeched to a stop in front of St. Clarion General. Leonardo and Jay were out of the car before the wheels stopped turning.

They stormed through the glass doors, breath short, hearts pounding.

"We’re looking for Reyna DeLuna and Emilio DeLuna," Jay said urgently. "Which ward?"