WHO AM I

THE EYE OF THE STORM

The tension between the group was palpable as they sat in silence, processing what Noah had just told them. Renzo had the upper hand, and they all knew it. Yet, none of them wanted to admit the growing fear settling in their chests.

"Well, this just keeps getting better," Jasper muttered, slouching against the wall. "First we barely make it out alive, now we're going to take down the guy who basically owns the city. What's next? Fighting dragons?"

"If there are dragons, I'm out," Stacy replied dryly. "I can barely handle Renzo, let alone fire-breathing lizards."

Noah ignored the sarcasm, pacing in front of the group as they sat in the garage behind Cathy's house. It was the only place they could meet without drawing attention, but even here, they weren't safe.

"We have one advantage," Noah said, breaking the tension. "Renzo doesn't know how much we know. We're ahead in that sense."

Zara scoffed. "And how long is that going to last? Renzo isn't stupid. If he even gets a whiff of us snooping around, we're toast."

Noah's jaw clenched, but Lila saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes. She knew he was holding more back, and it gnawed at her. There was something deeper going on.

"Are we really doing this?" Lila finally spoke, her voice cutting through the tension. "Because right now, it feels like we're in over our heads."

Noah stopped pacing, his gaze meeting hers. "We don't have a choice, Lila. If we back out now, we're done for. Renzo won't stop until we're all gone."

Jasper raised his hand like a student in class. "Quick question—does 'gone' mean, like, fired from life? Because I'm not ready for that."

Cathy rolled her eyes. "Yes, Jasper, 'gone' means dead. Thanks for clarifying."

Jasper shuddered. "Yup, definitely not ready for that."

"Well, tough luck," Stacy chimed in, crossing her arms. "We're all in this mess together. Whether we like it or not."

Cathy stood up, her expression hardening. "So, we need a plan. Something better than just barging into Renzo's office like Noah did."

Noah shot her a look. "It wasn't exactly barging."

Cathy raised an eyebrow. "You walked in, unarmed, and stared down a guy who has more security than the president. That's the definition of 'barging.'"

Jasper couldn't help but laugh. "She's got a point, man."

Noah's lips twitched, almost forming a smile. "Okay, fine. But it worked."

"Barely," Lila added, her eyes narrowing. "And you didn't tell us everything, did you?"

Noah's smile faded. The group fell silent again as they waited for him to respond. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "There's more."

Jasper groaned. "Of course there is."

Noah leaned forward, his voice dropping. "Phillip wasn't just helping Renzo for the money. There's something else. Renzo's got leverage on him—on all of us."

Lila's blood ran cold. "Leverage? Like what?"

Noah's gaze flicked toward Cathy, then back to Lila. "He has information. About all of us. Things we thought were buried."

"Great, so he's blackmailing us?" Zara asked, her face twisting in disbelief. "Because that's not terrifying at all."

Cathy's fists clenched. "He's probably had this planned for a while."

"Yeah, but why now?" Stacy asked, glancing at the group. "Why make his move now?"

Lila could feel her pulse quicken. "Because we're close. Closer than anyone's ever been to exposing him."

"Exactly," Noah confirmed. "He's feeling the pressure, and that makes him dangerous."

Jasper raised his hand again. "Uh, I vote we leave the country. Maybe start a new life in Canada or something. Who's with me?"

Stacy smacked his arm. "Focus, Jasper."

"I am focused! On survival!"

Noah shook his head, trying to suppress a chuckle. "We can't run. Renzo would find us no matter where we go."

"Okay, fine," Jasper sighed dramatically. "So we're staying. And doing what, exactly?"

"Whatever it takes," Noah said firmly. "We dig deeper. Find out what Renzo's hiding. And when we have enough, we bring him down for good."

Cathy stood up straighter, determination in her eyes. "Then let's get started."