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“I’d know that voice anywhere,” she said through clenched teeth, her eyes wide with panic. “It was Lorenzo. I panicked and hung up so fast... but he’ll already be suspicious.”

And as if summoned by her fear, the phone lit up again.

The screen glowed from where it lay on the couch, vibrating with an incoming call.

Krystal flinched hard, her hand snapping to her mouth as she bit down on a fingernail. Her entire body was coiled like a spring, tension humming in every muscle.

Darren glanced between her and the phone. “Should I answer it or not? If it’s him, he’s not letting this go.”

Krystal stood straighter, forcing a breath down her throat. “I messed up by calling him. Now that he’s got my number, he’s going to track me down no matter what. There’s no point hiding anymore.” She looked over at Darren with steel in her eyes. “If he’s gonna find me, we’re damn well getting paid for it.”

A deep breath. One last beat of silence. Then:

“Ask him for two hundred million,” she said, eyes firm. “That’s the new price.”

***

Back at the Moretti house, Lorenzo stared down at his phone, brows drawn together in a hard line. His voice dropped to a murmur.

“Was that… Krystal?” he muttered to himself. “Why would she say she’s Doctor Astra?”

Xander leaned in slightly, uncertain. “Sir, are you sure it was her? If that was really Doctor Astra, then—how could it be Mrs. Moretti?”

Lorenzo didn’t answer immediately. His jaw worked as he clenched his teeth. He was used to hearing her voice. He couldrecognize it in a crowd, in his sleep. The way she spoke, the rhythm in her words, even the breath before she talked.

Then, his phone buzzed with a new text. He clicked it open and read the message.

‘I will accept your patient. My fee is two hundred million dollars.’

Lorenzo’s eyes darkened. His jaw clenched. Without a word, he tossed the phone to Xander, who caught it mid-air. He read the text and then looked up, eyebrows rising.

“They’re robbing you blind, Mr. Moretti. Two hundred million? That’s insanity! Even a hundred was already too damn generous!”

Lorenzo's voice dropped an octave, cold and lethal. “If she doesn’t save Esther, I’ll bury her alive with that money. But until then—” He narrowed his eyes. “Give her what she wants. Draw up the contract.”

Xander nodded, quickly copying the number into his phone. He placed Lorenzo’s phone back on the desk and walked out of the room.

Left alone, Lorenzo dropped heavily into the chair, his gaze landing on the framed photo of Krystal sitting on his desk. His hand reached out, brushing his fingers gently over her smile frozen in time.

“That couldn’t have been her,” he muttered. “There’s no way someone like Astra is connected to Krystal.”

But his chest felt tight.

There weren’t many photos of her around the house—just the few she’d brought with her when they got married. Even fewer they’d taken together.

“Where the hell are you?” he whispered, his fingers curling around the frame.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

He snapped upright.

“She knows how to show up this late after running away for days?” Lorenzo growled, voice sharp with irritation. It could only be Krystal.

He shot up from his chair, storming out of the office. Taking the stairs two at a time, he headed straight for the front door.

His voice rang through the house as he reached for the door handle. “Vacation over, Krystal? Now you decide to come back?” he barked, his voice rough and pissed off.

But as he flung the door open, it wasn’t Krystal.