The air in the car was thick with tension as Crystal drove Tania to their usual meeting spot, the silence between them almost palpable. Fabian sat in the backseat, arms crossed, staring out the window, while Tania fidgeted with her phone, her mind racing. She had put her trust in Crystal and Fabian, expecting them to deliver results, but something felt off today.
As they pulled up to the rundown building they often used for private meetings, Tania’s gut churned with anxiety. The trio stepped inside, the dim light casting long shadows across the dusty floor. Crystal and Fabian stood near the table, waiting for Tania’s inevitable barrage of questions.
Tania wasted no time. “How did the operation go? Where are Leo and Liam?” she demanded, her voice sharp with impatience.
Crystal hesitated, exchanging a quick glance with Fabian before answering. “The house was empty when we got there,” she admitted, her tone laced with frustration. “Ella and the twins were gone.”
Tania’s face twisted in disbelief. “What? I thought you said you saw her at the house, Crystal!” Her voice escalated, filled with panic and anger. “Everything is going sideways!” she screamed, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
Crystal tried to calm her. “We’ll find them. They can’t have gone far.”
But Tania wasn’t having it. She stared coldly at Crystal, her eyes narrowing. “You and Fabian better find them, or else…” Her threat hung in the air, unfinished but heavy with malice. Without waiting for a response, she turned and stormed out of the building, leaving the tension behind her to fester.
Fabian let out a long breath and shook his head. “I think she’s losing it,” he whispered, watching Tania’s retreating figure.
Crystal stood there, stunned, wondering what had shifted in Tania’s mind. Something was clearly off. The desperation, the paranoia it was getting worse. And as much as Crystal tried to rationalize it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Tania was spiraling out of control.