Chapter 124: The Switch
Vince squinted through binoculars. "Dunno, boss. Looks like she’s gettin’ out... wait, no, the cab’s just sittin’ there. Maybe she’s grabbin’ a snack or somethin’. Hold up—some idiot just parked right in front of us. Can’t see a damn thing!"
A random sedan, sleek but scuffed at the edges, screeched to a halt right in front of them, cutting off their line of sight like an uninvited wall of metal. Behind the wheel, a harried businessman in a rumpled suit was gesturing wildly at the traffic ahead, clearly running late for a morning he already hated.
Rocco’s jaw clenched. "Son of a—" he muttered, slamming his palm against the dashboard hard enough to make the rearview mirror tremble. His patience was a fuse, and this guy had just lit it. "Move your ass, buddy! Vince, hit the lights—scare him off."
Vince didn’t hesitate. With a sharp flick of his fingers, the high beams strobed through the windshield like a blinding spotlight. The businessman froze, shoulders stiffening as he glanced nervously in the mirror.
A beat passed. Then, with a visible huff and a string of curses that were easy to lip-read, he threw his car into gear and peeled away, tires spitting a faint mist off the damp asphalt.
Rocco exhaled through his teeth, the adrenaline buzzing beneath his skin. "Yeah, that’s what I thought," he muttered, gripping the wheel again as the street cleared. Vince snorted softly beside him, the tension slipping into something almost amused.
"Finally," Rocco growled, peering ahead. But in those crucial moments, they had missed the switch. Eliana had emerged from the store, her relief palpable, and hailed a fresh cab that whisked her away toward her destination. Meanwhile, a random woman—a young mother named Ruth, with tired eyes and a backpack slung over her shoulder—had spotted the idling cab and flagged it down.
"Hey, you free?" Ruth called to the driver, her voice laced with exhaustion from an overnight shift.
"Yeah, hop in," the driver said, waving her over. "Where you headed?"
"Just downtown, near the market," Ruth replied, sliding into the back seat where Eliana had sat moments before. She sighed deeply, leaning her head against the window, unaware of the danger now trailing her.
As the cab accelerated away, Rocco nodded triumphantly. "There we go. She’s still in there. Let’s close the gap—intersection’s comin’ up."
Vince grinned wickedly. "Poor girl won’t know what hit her. Literally."
Unbeknownst to them, Eliana was now safely in her new cab, her thoughts drifting back to Rafael. The emotional scars from her past—the abandonment by her mother, the struggles with her sickly father—had forged her into a resilient woman, but the recent betrayals stung like fresh wounds. She wondered if James would hear her own side of the story out and finally tell it to Rafael. "Please let this lead to reconciliation between Rafael and me," she whispered to herself, brown eyes misting with unshed tears.
Back in the van, the men tailed the cab with predatory precision, weaving through the increasing flow of commuters. The city buzzed with life: horns blared, pedestrians hustled across crosswalks, and the scent of street vendor coffee wafted through open windows. Rocco’s grip tightened as they approached the busy intersection at Elm and Broad, where traffic lights flickered like watchful eyes.
"Alright, this is it," Rocco said, his voice dropping to a tense whisper. "Wait for the green—then ram the passenger side. Make it look like a sideswipe gone wrong. We bail fast."
Vince cracked his knuckles, adrenaline surging. "You got it. Bianca’s gonna love this. That sister of hers, Sarai? She’s been itchin’ for payback. Heard she’s obsessed with some guy Eliana stole or somethin’."
Rocco chuckled darkly. "Yeah, well, after this, that poor girl’s gonna be history. Or at least wish she was."
The light turned green, and the cab accelerated into the intersection. With a roar, Rocco floored the van’s pedal, veering sharply. The impact was catastrophic—a deafening crunch of metal on metal as the van slammed into the cab’s rear passenger door, right where they assumed Eliana sat. The cab spun wildly, tires screeching in protest, before tumbling onto its side in a shower of shattered glass and twisted debris. Horns erupted in chaos around them, drivers swerving to avoid the wreckage.
"Go, go, go!" Rocco barked, slamming the van into reverse and peeling away down a side street, vanishing into the labyrinth of alleys.
Inside the mangled cab, Ruth screamed in terror as the world flipped. The driver groaned, blood trickling from a gash on his forehead, but Ruth bore the brunt—pinned against the crumpled door, her body jolted with excruciating pain. "Help... please," she whimpered, her mind flashing to her young child waiting at home. Sirens wailed in the distance, drawing closer as bystanders rushed to the scene, phones out, capturing the horror.
Miles away, Eliana’s new cab cruised smoothly toward the pastry shop, oblivious to the near-miss that had spared her life. Her heart pounded with anticipation, the emotional rollercoaster of love and hope fueling her resolve. Little did she know, fate had intervened in the most capricious way, turning Bianca and Sarai’s venomous plot against an innocent soul.
Meanwhile, in the opulent confines of Bianca’s penthouse, the sisters lounged on plush velvet couches, sipping mimosas as they awaited news. Sarai’s sharp green eyes gleamed with anticipation, her glossy black hair pulled into a sleek bun that accentuated her fierce beauty. "Do you think it’s done yet?" she asked, her voice dripping with eager malice.
Bianca, ever the elegant manipulator, checked her phone with a sly smile. "Patience, little sis. Our boys are pros. Any minute now, we’ll get the confirmation. Eliana’s about to learn what happens when you cross the Monroes."
Sarai laughed, a sound both melodic and chilling. "God, I can’t wait. That naive little thing thought she could waltz into our world? With Jason? Or Rafael? She’s nothing but a charity case. And after this, she’ll be less than that."
Bianca wrapped an arm around her, their bond unbreakable, two peas in a pod forged in cunning and privilege. "Exactly. We’ve got each other’s backs, always. No one touches what’s ours."
Their laughter echoed through the room, unaware that their carefully laid trap had ensnared the wrong prey. The city, with its secrets and shadows, held its breath, the threads of betrayal tightening around them all.
But for now, the Chapter closed on the smoldering wreckage at the intersection, where Ruth’s faint cries mingled with the arriving ambulances. An innocent woman, caught in the crossfire of jealousy and deceit, her life forever altered by the whims of the wicked. The drama simmered, poised for explosion, as Eliana unknowingly escaped the calamity meant for her.