WHO AM I

THE UNRAVELING

The drive back was mostly silent, the tension in the car thick enough to cut with a knife. Lila sat next to Noah, glancing at him every so often. He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.

“Do you think Phillip was just messing with us?” Cathy asked from the backseat, leaning forward between the seats.

“Phillip’s always messing with people,” Noah muttered. “But this time? I don’t know. Something felt different.”

Lila frowned, her mind still on Phillip’s cryptic parting words. “Messy,” she repeated softly. “He said things were going to get messy. What do you think he meant?”

Noah’s jaw clenched, his eyes glued to the road. “I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.”

Jasper, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up. “Maybe it’s time we go on the offensive.”

Cathy blinked in surprise. “What are you suggesting? We... we take the fight to Renzo?”

“Why not?” Jasper replied, his tone sharp. “Renzo’s been one step ahead of us this whole time. We can’t just keep reacting. We need to take control.”

Noah gave a bitter laugh. “Easier said than done, Jasper. Renzo has an entire empire backing him up. What do we have? Phillip?”

Lila shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading. “Look, I get that we’re all frustrated, but we’re not exactly... warriors. We can’t just storm in and take Renzo down.”

Jasper turned toward her, his eyes intense. “Then what’s your plan, Lila? Wait until he makes his move? Because he will, and it won’t be pretty.”

Silence filled the car again as they each wrestled with their thoughts. Lila knew Jasper was right—waiting for Renzo to strike wasn’t a strategy. But the idea of going after him, of stepping into the lion’s den, felt reckless.

Noah’s voice broke the silence. “We’re not going after Renzo. Not yet.”

Cathy looked relieved. “Good, because I was not ready to be part of a ‘Mission Impossible’ crew.”

Jasper groaned. “So what? We just sit around and hope Phillip doesn’t turn on us?”

“We get smarter,” Noah replied. “We dig deeper. Phillip’s right about one thing: things are about to get messy. But if we can figure out what Renzo’s next move is before he makes it, we might stand a chance.”

Lila bit her lip, nodding slowly. “Okay, so... how do we do that?”

Noah glanced at her, a small smile playing on his lips despite the tension. “I have a few ideas.”

Just as he said that, his phone buzzed on the console. He glanced at the screen, his face hardening. Without a word, he picked it up and handed it to Lila.

“It’s from Renzo,” he said, his voice low.

Lila’s heart raced as she took the phone. The message was short, but it sent chills down her spine: Hope you’re ready. This is just the beginning.