Mia and I waited for Dom to return from his race with Brian. The sound of a car pulling up made my stomach tighten. Dom stepped out, bloodied and wearing only a torn T-shirt. He didn't say a word as he rushed past us into the house.

He finally stopped in front of us, his breathing steady despite the chaos. Then, in a calm voice, he said, "Mia, Izzy, I have to go. The cops will be on my trail soon."

Mia nodded without hesitation. But me? I couldn't. My hands clenched into fists, my heart racing. "How did it come to this?"

Dom turned to me, his voice sharp. "Something you want to say?"

I met his gaze, my anger boiling over. "Yeah. I wish I had left with my brother." My voice trembled with rage. "He would never have let this happen. But you? You threw everything away just to be a criminal. You always put yourself first. You say family is everything, but where was that when I needed you? When I warned you about Vince harassing Mia—and then me? You called me a liar. You shut me out of your crew. You let him do whatever he wanted."

Dom's expression hardened. "You're lying, Isabella. Vince asked for my permission to date you, maybe even marry you. That's why I'm sending you to him. You need to be by his side—as family."

His words shattered something inside me. All the times I tried to reach him, to make him see what he was doing—it was pointless.

I exhaled sharply, my voice final. "No. I'm not doing anything you want. I'm done."

Dom's jaw tightened. "Damn it, Isabella, I'm trying to protect you! The only way I can do that is by sending you to Vince."

He stormed out of the room. Mia rushed to my side, worry in her eyes. "Isabella..."

I shook my head, my voice breaking. "Please, Mia. Stop him. I don't want to do this."

Mia pulled me into a tight hug. "When he leaves, I'll tell him I'm taking you to Vince—but I won't. I'll take you to the airport instead. You deserve a life where you can be free. You deserve to love someone who loves you for you."

Tears welled in my eyes. I hugged her back. "I love you, Mia."

She smiled softly. "Love you too, Bella."

Downstairs, Dom was waiting. "Mia, take Isabella to Vince."

Mia nodded. We both knew it was a lie, but it was a lie that would keep me safe. Dom hugged Mia and hesitated when he looked at me. I didn't say a word. I just nodded, already knowing that the only family I had left was Mia.

Once Dom's car disappeared down the street, we put our plan into motion. I packed what little I had, while Mia handled the cover story—telling the hospital I'd be waiting for Vince in Brazil. In reality, my destination was NYC, and after that, London.

A New Life

At the airport, Mia and I checked in. As we stood at the gate, I turned to her, my chest tightening. "I'll miss you so much. I wish we had more time together."

She smiled, eyes filled with emotion. "I wish that too. But now, you need to go."

We hugged one last time.

As I walked away, the weight of it all hit me. I was free. Free to travel, to build my own life—to become whoever I wanted to be.

The flight to NYC was smooth. For the first time in years, I sat back and read a book, something I never had the chance to do before.

Once I arrived, I settled into my hotel and explored the city. Soon, I landed a job at a top-tier tech company, specializing in coding and cybersecurity. It was a fresh start, a chance to build something of my own.

Days turned into weeks. I buried myself in my work, creating a powerful encryption code—one that could make a car or plane completely untraceable. I refined it every day, making it more secure, more advanced.

And then, it was gone.

One evening, I opened my laptop, only to find my code had been stolen. Panic surged through me. I traced the breach back to the dark web. London.

Someone in London had stolen my work.

I refused to let them get away with it.

I emailed my boss, requesting a transfer. Within hours, I got my answer—there was an open position in the London office. I took it without hesitation.

Packing my belongings, I erased all traces of my past. The people who worked for me before? They weren't my crew anymore.

As I boarded my flight, only one thought consumed me:

Whoever stole my code was going to pay.