I woke up in a cold sweat, my head pounding. I was in a dark, dingy room, and Alex was nowhere to be seen. But then, I heard his voice, low and menacing.
"You shouldn't have come here, Sophia. Now you're in this too deep."
I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my head. "What do you want from me?" I whispered.
"The truth," he said, his voice echoing off the walls. "You see, Sophia, you're not just a pawn in their game. You're the key to unlocking a much bigger secret."
I struggled to make sense of his words, but my mind was foggy. "What secret?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
Alex laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "The secret of the syndicate. The secret of your family's past."
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Marco and Vinnie stormed in. "Alex, you traitor!" Marco snarled.
And then, everything clicked into place. Alex wasn't who I thought he was. He was working against the syndicate, trying to bring them down from the inside.
"Run, Sophia," he yelled, as the two men dragged him away.
I stumbled out of the room, my heart racing. I knew I had to get out of there, fast. But as I ran down the corridor, I realized I was trapped. The syndicate had me right where they wanted me.
And then, I saw him - the mysterious figure from the shadows. He was standing in front of me, his eyes gleaming with a sinister intensity.
"Welcome, Sophia," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "You're going to make a perfect addition to our family."
