And me? I sat there, invisible, wondering why I even bothered showing up. It wasn’t like they’d notice if I was gone.
Now I really was gone, and I doubted either of them would care. I wasn’t part of their world, not really. Just a shadow on the fringes of their empire, easily forgotten.
But as my body was wheeled into the morgue, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Martinez was about to learn something he couldn’t ignore. His precious empire was crumbling, and soon enough, he’d find out that I—his own daughter—was caught in the middle of it.
Not that it would change anything. Not for a man like him. I was never part of the plan, just collateral damage in a war I never wanted to be part of.
And now, I was nothing more than another body in the morgue.
It had been a week since I vanished, and life went on like nothing happened. I had hoped someone would notice my absence, but as I drifted through the familiar places I once called home, it felt like I had never existed at all.
The first sign of concern came from Leo. He had that uncanny ability to sense when something was off, especially when it involved family. Fiercely loyal to my father, Martinez, he was always the one who kept an eye on things. But even he seemed oblivious, too caught up in the chaos of the family business. It took my absence from an important business event for him to finally catch on.
The night of the gathering arrived, a lavish celebration meant to toast another successful deal with one of their allies. Laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed throughout the mansion, creating a stark contrast to my silence. I was gone, and no one cared enough to look for me.
“Where’s Selene?” Leo’s voice cut through the chatter as he approached my father, who was deep in conversation with a couple of associates. Leo’s brow was furrowed with concern. “She hasn’t shown up.”
Martinez glanced over, momentarily distracted from the business talk. “She probably got caught up in something,” he replied dismissively, waving a hand like my absence didn’t matter.
“Aren’t you worried? This isn’t like her,” Leo pressed, his voice low but insistent. I imagined him leaning in closer, trying to get my father to see sense. He could be intimidating when he wanted to be.