I held my breath, staring at the book that could buy my freedom.

If I took this, there would be no turning back.

Dante would know it was me.

He would hunt me to the ends of the earth.

But if I stayed, what kind of life would my child have in this world of violence and secrets?

I held the ledger close to my chest, my heart thudding violently.

Suddenly, the floorboards in the hallway groaned.

The sound was faint, but in the silence of the house, it sounded like a thunderclap.

Footsteps were approaching the study.

They were slow, deliberate, and heavy.

Dante.

Panic seized me, freezing the blood in my veins.

I tried to shove the ledger back into the drawer, but my hands were trembling too much.

The key slipped from the lock and clattered loudly against the wooden floor.

I gasped, dropping to my knees to search for it in the dark.

The footsteps stopped directly outside the door.

The brass handle of the study began to turn.

I scrambled backward, clutching the black ledger to my chest as the door swung open.