Love Between Chaos (Parisan Mafia #1)

5

Chapter 5: The Breaking Point

Sabrina stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest as Lawrence's words echoed in her mind. The air between them felt thick with tension, and for the first time in her life, she felt truly cornered. She had no idea how much Lawrence knew or how much time she had before everything would crumble.

"You wouldn't dare," she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady despite the growing panic inside her.

Lawrence raised an eyebrow, his expression cold and calculating. "You think I'm bluffing?"

He took a step closer, his eyes locking onto hers. Sabrina forced herself to hold his gaze, even though every instinct screamed at her to look away, to run.

"I've already done enough for this family," she said, her voice low but defiant. "All I want is a chance to think for myself."

Her brother let out a mirthless laugh. "Think for yourself? Is that what this is about?" He leaned in, his face inches from hers. "Do you realize what you're doing, Sabrina? You're putting us all at risk-Father, the business, everything we've built."

Sabrina clenched her fists, anger boiling beneath her skin. She wasn't just some pawn in her father's empire, and she refused to let Lawrence make her feel that way.

"Everything 'you've' built?" she shot back. "I've been right there with you, Lawrence. Don't act like I haven't sacrificed just as much. But I'm done sacrificing my soul for a family that sees me as nothing more than an asset."

Lawrence's eyes flashed with fury. "You think this is about you? This is about survival. Our enemies are circling like vultures, and you're aligning yourself with the Monteverdes-the very people who could destroy us."

Sabrina's breath hitched at his words. This was deeper than she had realized. The rivalry between the Stuarts and Monteverdes had always been intense, but she hadn't anticipated just how far Lawrence would go to protect their legacy. She had to be careful with her next move.

"You don't understand," Sabrina said, her voice softening, trying a different approach. "I'm not betraying us. I'm trying to protect us. There's more going on here than just family feuds. We have to be smarter than this."

Lawrence's face hardened. "So you're protecting us by meeting with Justine Monteverde? You think I'm stupid, Sabrina?"

Her mind raced, searching for a way to explain without giving too much away. She couldn't tell him everything-at least, not yet. But she needed to give him something, or he'd ruin everything.

"I was gathering information," she said, carefully choosing her words. "Justine and I... we've been trying to figure out what our fathers are planning. They're keeping things from us, Lawrence. Things that could affect the future of both our families."

Lawrence's eyes narrowed, skepticism etched into every line of his face. "Why would Justine Monteverde help you? What's in it for him?"

Sabrina swallowed hard. This was the tricky part. She had to convince Lawrence that her alliance with Justine wasn't a betrayal but a necessary partnership.

"He's not helping me out of the goodness of his heart," Sabrina admitted. "But we both know that our fathers aren't invincible. If they're planning something big, something that could destabilize everything, we need to be prepared. Justine wants the same thing-to make sure his family survives. That's why we've been working together."

For a moment, Lawrence was silent, his expression unreadable. Sabrina could see the gears turning in his mind, trying to process what she had just told him. She hoped-prayed-that he would see reason, that he wouldn't turn her over to their father.

Finally, Lawrence spoke, his voice tight with frustration. "If I go along with this, if I don't tell Father... you'd better not be lying to me, Sabrina. I'm serious. I'll destroy you if you are."

Sabrina's chest heaved as she exhaled, the tension momentarily easing. She nodded, her voice steady. "I'm not lying. But we need to act fast. We don't have much time."

---

That night, Sabrina barely slept. Her mind kept replaying her conversation with Lawrence, wondering if he would change his mind or if he would decide to betray her after all. But when morning came, Lawrence hadn't said anything to their father. At least, not yet.

Instead, he watched her carefully, every glance filled with suspicion, as though he were waiting for her to slip up. But for now, he was keeping quiet, and that was all Sabrina needed.

She met with Justine again in secret, this time in a more secluded location far from the eyes of the public. The tension between them had grown more pronounced since their last conversation. Sabrina could sense Justine's frustration, his impatience with how slow things were moving.

"We don't have much longer," Justine said, pacing back and forth in front of the small, dimly lit café where they met. "If our fathers go through with this alliance, it'll be too late."

Sabrina nodded, biting her lip. "I know. I convinced Lawrence not to say anything-for now-but he won't wait forever. We need solid evidence."

Justine stopped pacing and looked at her, his dark eyes filled with intensity. "There's one option left."

Sabrina's heart skipped a beat. "What option?"

"We break into my father's office. Tonight," he said, his voice low but resolute. "If we can get our hands on any documents, anything that proves their plans, we can use it against them. We can stop this."

Sabrina's stomach twisted in knots. Breaking into a mafia leader's office wasn't exactly a simple task. If they got caught, it would be over for both of them. But at this point, they were running out of options. She glanced at Justine, his face hardened with determination, and she knew there was no turning back.

"Alright," Sabrina said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Let's do it."

---

That night, Sabrina slipped out of the Stuart estate under the cover of darkness, her heart pounding with every step. She met Justine outside the Monteverde mansion, the looming structure casting long shadows under the pale moonlight.

"Are you ready for this?" Justine asked, his voice hushed as they crouched near the back entrance.

Sabrina nodded, her hands shaking slightly as adrenaline coursed through her veins. "I don't think I've ever been ready for anything in my life."

Justine gave a tight smile before leading her toward the back of the house. He had disabled the security system earlier that day, but they still had to be careful. One wrong move, and they'd be caught.

The two of them crept through the dimly lit corridors, their footsteps barely making a sound. Sabrina's heart raced as they approached the door to Justine's father's office. Her palms were slick with sweat, and she could feel the weight of the risk they were taking pressing down on her.

Justine knelt by the door and pulled out a set of lockpicking tools. Within moments, the lock clicked open, and the door swung inward. They slipped inside, closing it quietly behind them.

The office was large, with a grand mahogany desk at the center and shelves of books lining the walls. Sabrina's eyes immediately went to the desk, where several folders and papers were spread out.

"This is it," Justine whispered, moving quickly to the desk. He rifled through the papers, his brow furrowing as he searched for something incriminating.

Sabrina's breath caught in her throat as she stood watch by the door, her eyes darting nervously to the hallway. Every creak, every rustle of paper made her jump. They had to be fast.

Suddenly, Justine's voice broke the silence. "I found it."

Sabrina turned to see him holding a thick file in his hands, his eyes wide with shock. She hurried over to him and peered over his shoulder, her heart sinking as she read the words on the top page.

It was worse than they had imagined.

Their fathers weren't just planning a merger.

They were planning a war.