Carlos' POV
I struggled to catch my breath as a sharp pain throbbed through my side. I knew the stitches on my wound had torn open, and the bleeding wouldn't stop. It felt like my skin was being ripped apart. Arguing with Jam earlier and forcing my voice to rise had only made it worse.
Like her, I didn't want to believe any of this. But a part of me was deeply hurt by what Jenna did—and that pain had turned into anger.
I had no idea how many hours we'd been stuck in this room. All I knew was that it was already dark outside, and the lights inside had been switched on. My stomach was growling from hunger, but surviving and getting out of here mattered more.
Leaning against the wall, I stared up at the ceiling, asking myself over and over if I'd make it out alive—or if this was where everything would end.
My body was exhausted from the beating I took. Eventually, I couldn't fight off sleep anymore.
I woke to someone lightly tapping my cheek. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see Luis—then even more shocked when I realized he was no longer tied up.
"Let's go. We need to get out of here," he said.
I glanced at Jam. She wasn't tied up either.
"How—" I started to ask, but Luis held up a tiny knife he always kept hidden in his shoe. I let out a relieved breath.
"It's five in the morning. There shouldn't be that many guards outside yet," he said while pulling a key from his pocket.
Jam and I both froze when the door swung open.
"Where did you get that? You had a key this whole time? We could've left earlier!" Jam whispered irritably.
Luis took a deep breath and faced us.
"I want to explain everything, but not now. What matters is we leave. I have all the evidence against the Madrigal family. We need to move."
I slowly pushed myself up, clutching my injured side.
"Evidence? How did you get evidence?" I asked.
He looked at me, his expression unreadable.
"Sometimes you just have to trust someone to make things right."
"Let's go before they realize we're gone," he added, peeking outside.
Jam walked over and met my eyes. We didn't say anything, but we both understood.
"Let's go," she said, offering her hand.
I stared at it briefly before taking it. She helped me walk out. My body was covered in bruises and cuts; every step hurt. Sometimes I had to bite my lip just to keep from groaning.
We made our way slowly down the stairs.
"We'll pass through the kitchen," Luis whispered as he led us.
We'd been walking for minutes, yet it felt like we hadn't gotten anywhere. The mansion was massive.
"Ah… shit," I muttered when pain shot through my side again. Jam stopped with me.
"Are you okay?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.
I didn't want her to know I could barely stand.
"I'm fine," I lied, nodding to Luis to keep going.
"Damn it! They escaped!"
Our eyes widened at the shout. Luis quickly pulled us under another staircase. The pain nearly made me black out, but I forced myself to stay silent as we heard men running around, searching.
"Find them! They can't be far!" someone yelled angrily.
"What do we do? They'll kill us if they find us," Jam whispered, gripping my arm tightly.
Luis paused, thinking. Then he turned to us and pulled out a small object—a USB drive—and handed it to me.
"I'll distract them. You two need to get out and bring that to headquarters. That's the only thing that can bring them down. Protect it."
"But Luis, what about you?" Jam asked.
"I'll handle it. Once they chase me, you leave. Do you understand? Go!"
He didn't wait for our reply. He ran off, immediately drawing the attention of the armed men.
"After him!"
Luis slipped through a door, and the men followed. I clenched my fists when gunshots echoed from inside.
"We need to move," Jam said.
I wanted to help Luis—but I couldn't. I followed Jam instead. We moved carefully toward another door until we reached a veranda at the far end.
"What now? Should we go back—" Jam started, but suddenly she shoved me.
A bullet sliced through the air where I'd just been standing. I crawled toward the wall.
"Come out!" someone shouted, getting closer.
Jam and I exchanged a look.
"Stay here—"
"Where are you going? You can't fight him!" I hissed angrily.
"I don't have a choice. What matters is that you get that USB out of here. You have to escape," she said.
"Damn it, Jam!" I shouted—but she was already running. Another gunshot rang out.
I gripped the USB tightly, forcing myself to breathe quietly. No matter what happened, I had to get out of this mansion.
I forced myself to stand, even though my body screamed in protest. Suddenly, someone grabbed me and pulled me into the darker corner of the veranda. A hand covered my mouth. The person was dressed in black, wearing a cap and a face mask.
I struggled until he gestured for me to stay quiet. He pointed toward the side—two armed men were patrolling nearby.
"They're not here. Keep searching," one of them said before they moved on.
A few seconds later, the stranger released my mouth. I gasped for air.
Then I realized he was staring at me.
"Who are you? Why did you save me?" I asked.
Slowly, he removed his cap. Then his face mask.
My blood ran cold.
He had the same face as me.
"Leo…" I whispered.