"Come." He jerks his chin in the direction of the stairs. "I think you will feel better when you hear what I have to say."

This news captures my interest, and without any alternative, I follow him down to my study. We step inside and close the door, and he waits until I'm settled into my chair before he removes his phone and hands it to me.

"One of my guys found someone lurking around the property. He was near the western perimeter."

I study the image of the man on Marco's screen, but he isn't someone I recognize.

"Any idea who he is?" I ask.

"From what I've been able to gather, he's a low-level criminal. There's nothing much of importance about him other than a rap sheet a mile long. Petty crimes, mostly. I already beat the shit out of him, and he gave it up pretty quickly that he was working for Abel. Said he was supposed to keep an eye on the place."

"And what exactly was he supposed to report back?" I ask.

"His orders were to look for Eli or any sightings of his daughters. There were even photos on his phone. He said Abel wanted pictures of Ivy or Eva. He wanted to see if they were distraught."

Marco is giving me the confirmation that I was right. Abel is paranoid enough to need confirmation that Ivy and Eva’s grief is real. It should bring me relief, but there is none to be found. My wife is still upstairs, lost to her anguish, and I don't know how much longer I can bear it.

"He also said he was supposed to attend the funeral tomorrow,” Marco continues. “He mentioned Abel had a few guys who would be in attendance, but he didn't know any of their names. They'll be reporting back to Abel, whoever they are."

I dip my head, rubbing my temples as tension clings to every muscle in my body. "I don't know if I can go through with it, Marco. I don't know if I can watch her suffer any longer—"

He lowers himself into the chair across from mine, resting his palms on my desk. "It's one more day, Santiago. Just one more day. Abel will get the confirmation that his entire family is in mourning. And then you can tell her, just as soon as we're back at The Manor."

"And what if he doesn't do what we are anticipating?" I ask. "What if he doesn't come out of hiding? His paranoia is too strong."

"He will," Marco assures me. "He hasn't waited this long for nothing. With Eli out of the picture, the temptation will be too much for him to resist. He'd rather die trying to snatch that last bit of power than be exiled to the shadows for eternity."