CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE

{ DIANA FREED }

Rosetta pulled away from the kiss, her face inches from mine, and whispered, "We can do this together." Her words were a lifeline, a brief moment of solace in the storm of chaos swirling around us. But even as her touch calmed me, the sight of Judith standing in the distance brought me back to reality.

Judith stood under a street lamp, her figure illuminated by the soft yellow glow. Her expression was unreadable, a mask that betrayed nothing of her thoughts. As I watched her, I felt a pang of guilt mixed with determination. There was so much at stake, and personal feelings had to be set aside. A part of me wanted to do what a normal young man has to do but there was a lot at stake. I had lost the round and I knew what I had to do. I was a man of my word.

"Let's go," I said, turning the key in the ignition. Rosetta nodded and settled into her seat, the tension between us momentarily eased by our shared feelings.

As I drove through the rowdy streets, my mind raced. Th