The night of the gathering arrived, a lavish celebration meant to toast another successful deal with one of their allies. Laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed throughout the mansion, creating a stark contrast to my silence. I was gone, and no one cared enough to look for me.
“Where’s Selene?” Leo’s voice cut through the chatter as he approached my father, who was deep in conversation with a couple of associates. Leo’s brow was furrowed with concern. “She hasn’t shown up.”
Martinez glanced over, momentarily distracted from the business talk. “She probably got caught up in something,” he replied dismissively, waving a hand like my absence didn’t matter.
“Aren’t you worried? This isn’t like her,” Leo pressed, his voice low but insistent. I imagined him leaning in closer, trying to get my father to see sense. He could be intimidating when he wanted to be.
Martinez shrugged, his focus drifting back to the deals and numbers swirling around him. “There are more important things to worry about than her. We have a rival gang to crush, and I don’t have time to babysit.”