I gripped my phone tightly, rage boiling as I spoke to my brother, Reiner. "And you're going to fucking pay for it!" I threatened, barely holding back the fury that simmered beneath my words. "The fucking Rossi's, Reiner? Your own brother-it's like you handed me over on a silver platter! Does Papa even know?"
"Rowan, calm down," he replied, his tone steady but laced with an unsettling nonchalance. "No, Papa doesn't know you're there," he added, the words slipping out as if they meant nothing. "I knew if I told you right away, you'd have refused."
"Refused? Of course I would have fucking refused, you absolute piece of shit!" I spat, my frustration tangling with the city lights below. "Why else do you think I fucking quit my previous Job?!"
"Language, little brother," he chided, his voice maddeningly calm.
"You knew damn well I was done with this shit Reiner! You set me up! Just wait until I get my fucking hands on you," I growled, gripping the phone so tightly it felt like I was strangling him through the line.
"And what's the problem exactly?"
"They know who I am, Reiner!" I snapped, my voice rising as the words ripped from my throat. "They fucking know I'm a Chandler, damn it! You sent me in there, and I actually trusted you that this would be a routine job. Now I'm completely exposed, you fucking idiot!"
"Oh, so they did their research?" he replied, actually sounding more amused than concerned.
I scoffed, pacing the balcony. "What do you think? Of course they did. Anyone with a résumé as colorful as mine is bound to draw suspicion!"
"Well, that's what happens when you're dealing with people in our line of work."
"No shit," I shot back, barely containing the bitterness in my voice. "You dragged me into this mess, Reiner, and now you're getting me out. I don't care what it takes."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "That... won't be easy," he admitted, but I could tell he wasn't as concerned as he should have been.
"Exactly. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here, under constant surveillance," I said, my voice low but edged with urgency.
The moment I walked in, my eyes immediately caught sight of the obvious security cameras tucked into the corners of the room. Standard placement, too easy to spot.
