WHO AM I

RENZO'S COUNTERSTRIKE

The air felt thick with tension. Lila stared at the screen, rereading Renzo’s message over and over, hoping it would somehow change. But the words stayed the same. His challenge was set, and they were already deep in a dangerous game.

Noah, ever the strategist, stood up, his mind already working through a response. "We expected him to catch on at some point. Now we just need to make sure he stays on the defensive."

"Easy for you to say," Cathy said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "He’s not the one probably plotting how to destroy you as we speak."

"Destroy? Oh, come on, Cathy. That's a little dramatic," Jasper chimed in, his usual grin in place. "Maybe he’ll just try to mildly inconvenience us.”

Cathy shot him a glare. "Jasper, I swear, one of these days—"

“Guys,” Lila interrupted, “this is serious.”

Noah cleared his throat, the tone in his voice much heavier. "Renzo’s not going to let this slide. He’s always two steps ahead, and now that he knows we’re onto him, he’s going to hit back hard. We need to be prepared for anything.”

Jasper, ever the optimist, leaned back in his chair. "So, what's the plan? A dramatic car chase? Maybe we fake a kidnapping. I’m open to any kind of spy movie scenario here."

Cathy groaned. “Jasper, you’ve been watching way too much TV.”

But Lila couldn’t shake the knot forming in her stomach. What if Noah was wrong this time? What if Renzo really did have something bigger up his sleeve?

“I just don’t want to underestimate him,” Lila said, voicing the concern she knew they all had. “If we’re going to outplay him, we need to think bigger.”

“Exactly,” Noah nodded. “We hit him where he least expects it. His business.”

Jasper perked up. “Oh, you mean we’re taking down a multimillion-dollar empire now? I love this plan more and more.”

“Stop talking,” Cathy muttered, rolling her eyes at Jasper’s enthusiasm.

Noah shot Jasper a sideways glance before continuing. "Renzo has dirty deals going on. We've hinted at betrayal within his circle, but if we can plant evidence that someone’s leaking secrets about his business dealings...it'll throw him off completely."

Lila raised an eyebrow. “And how do we even get that kind of information?”

Noah smirked. “We don’t need real info. We just need Renzo to believe that someone has it.”

Jasper clapped his hands together. “Brilliant! Fake dirt on his business to make him paranoid enough to start questioning everyone.”

“But how do we get it to him without him knowing it's from us?” Cathy asked.

Noah’s smile widened. “I’ve already got that part covered.”

Lila felt a chill run down her spine. She trusted Noah, but there was something unsettling about how calm he remained throughout all this. It was like he had been planning every move for months, anticipating Renzo’s every reaction before he even made it.

“So we plant the evidence,” Noah continued. “We make sure it gets back to Renzo, and we sit back and watch as his empire starts to crumble.”

“That sounds incredibly dangerous,” Lila whispered.

Noah’s eyes met hers. “It is. But it’s the only way.”

Just as Noah finished speaking, Lila’s phone buzzed again. She froze, half-expecting another taunting message from Renzo. But when she looked down, her face paled.

“What is it?” Cathy asked.

Lila swallowed hard. “It’s from Zara.”

Cathy, Jasper, and Noah exchanged worried glances. Zara had been part of Renzo’s crew for years. She wasn’t exactly an enemy, but she definitely wasn’t an ally either.

“What does she want?” Noah asked cautiously.

Lila opened the message. “‘You’re in over your head. Walk away before it’s too late.’”

The room went silent.

“Well, that’s...ominous,” Jasper muttered.

Cathy stood up, her hands shaking. “We’re already in too deep. There’s no backing out now.”

“She’s right,” Noah agreed. “If Zara knows what we’re up to, Renzo does too. But this might be our chance.”

Lila raised an eyebrow. “Our chance to what?”

Noah’s smirk returned. “Our chance to turn Zara against him.”