Page 22 of Vows Made in Silence

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“Now,” she hisses.

We run—low and fast—toward the back.

The gallery shakes. Gunfire cracks like thunder.

Luca’s war has begun.

Sophia fumbles with the back keys. Hands shaking. Seconds slipping.

The lock sticks.

My heart stops.

Then—

Click.

The door swings open.

We burst into the night.

The alley stinks of oil and smoke. Shadows lurch. Sirens scream.

I glance back—just once.

Flames bloom inside the gallery.

The man I love is in there.

Fighting for his life.

Fighting for ours.

Move.

Sophia shoves me toward her car. We dive in. Doors slam. Tires screech.

She guns the engine, weaving through side streets.

I clutch the burner and fob like a rosary.

Her knuckles go white on the wheel.

“We get Daniel,” she says, voice raw. “Then we vanish.”

Tears blur my vision.

But I force them back.

There’s no room for fear now.

Only survival.

I stare out the window, refusing to look back again.

I can’t.

7

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