Jessica spent the rest of the day in a haze, her mind racing with the possibility she had never dared to consider—leaving. Not just running away, but finding a real future somewhere far, far from Armando’s reach. The thought had always seemed impossible, but now it filled her with a glimmer of hope, one that warmed her from the inside out. Japan. Her mother’s voice still echoed in her mind, soft and steady, reminding her that she deserved more, that Alvaro deserved more.
She watched Alvaro as he played, oblivious to the world around him. For him, each block was a tower, a castle, a little fortress where he was safe. The irony wasn’t lost on her. Here they were in Armando’s house, a grand fortress of security measures, with guards around every corner and cameras monitoring every angle. And
