Chapter 73: Always in constant struggle

Ana
The sound of rain hitting the windows was strangely comforting as I nestled with Paolo in my arms. I could feel his soft, steady breathing, and I focused on that rhythm to calm my thoughts. At that moment, Martin entered the room with a sense of urgency.
“Ana, we have a problem. There are rumors that a rival faction is planning an attack.”
“What? Who are they?”
“We’re not sure yet, but we know they’re on the move. We need to be prepared.”
I straightened up, trying to process the information while still holding Paolo.
“Call a meeting with all the leaders. We need to discuss our strategy immediately.”
Martin nodded and left to make the arrangements. I looked at Paolo and whispered once more.
“I promise we’ll be safe, my love.”
I placed Paolo in his crib and headed to the meeting room. Luisa was already there, reviewing maps and documents.
“What do you know about this faction?”
“Not much, only that they’re well-organized and have resources. We can’t afford to underestimate them.”
Martin entered with several of our top allies, each wearing a serious expression. They all took their seats around the table, and I began the meeting.
“We are facing a potentially serious threat. We need to assess our defenses and ensure we’re ready for anything. Martin, what’s our current situation?”
“We have men stationed at the main entrances, but we need to reinforce our weak points. Also, we must be vigilant against potential infiltrations.”
Luisa spoke up, her voice firm and authoritative.
“We can’t allow this threat to catch us off guard. We need to act quickly and decisively.”
“I agree. But we also need to be strategic. We can’t concentrate all our forces in one place. We need to diversify our defenses and ensure we’re prepared for any eventuality.”
One of the leaders, Alessandro, leaned forward. “What about our allies? Can we count on them for support?”
“I’ve been in contact with Nick and Carol. They’re willing to help, but they have their own concerns. We can’t rely entirely on them.”
Luisa nodded. “Then we must focus on strengthening our own ranks. And we can’t forget the importance of intelligence. We need to know more about this faction and their plans.”
“Martin, I want you to put all our informants on high alert. We need every piece of information we can get about this faction and their movements.”
“Understood. I’m on it already.”
The meeting continued with discussions on tactics and strategies. We all knew the situation was critical, but we couldn’t let fear paralyze us. After several hours, we finally settled on a provisional plan.
“Alright, everyone has their orders. Keep me updated on any developments. We can’t afford any mistakes.”
The meeting broke up, and the room gradually emptied. I stayed behind with Luisa, who approached me with a serious expression.
“Ana, I know this is hard for you. But you need to stay calm. You’re our leader, and everyone is looking to you to see how you react.”
“I know, Luisa. I’m doing the best I can. But it’s hard not to think about Dante and what he would do in this situation.”
“Dante isn’t here, Ana. You’re the one who has to make the decisions now. You have to be strong, not just for yourself, but for all of us.”
I felt a lump in my throat, but I knew Luisa was right. I had to be strong, I had to lead. I nodded and headed to my room to spend a moment alone with Paolo.
When I arrived, I found him awake, looking at me with his big curious eyes. I picked him up and cradled him in my arms, feeling his warmth and innocence.
“Everything will be alright, little one. I promise we’ll do everything we can to keep you safe.
I stayed there for a while, simply enjoying the peace and the presence of my son. But I knew I couldn't stay there forever. There were decisions to make and actions to take.
Suddenly, Martin entered the room, his face reflecting concern. "Ana, there's something else. I've received news from one of our informants. It seems there are suspicious movements at one of our secondary facilities."
"Suspicious how?"
"They're not sure, but they believe it could be an infiltration attempt. We need to investigate it immediately."
I straightened up, feeling a new wave of determination. "Alright. Call a team and get ready. We're going to that facility to find out what's going on."
I left Paolo in the care of one of our trusted nannies and headed towards the lobby, where Martin was already organizing the team. Luisa appeared shortly after, ready to join us.
"What's happening now?"
"Possible infiltration at one of our facilities. We're going to investigate."
Luisa nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation. We headed towards the vehicles and set off for the facility, prepared for any eventuality.
During the drive, Martin updated me on the latest details. "We've reinforced security at all our locations, but this facility is critical. We can't afford to lose it."
"I know. And we won't."
We arrived at the facility and began inspecting the surroundings. Everything seemed calm, but there was a tension in the air that was impossible to ignore.
Suddenly, one of our men came running towards us. "We've found something. A hidden entrance on the west perimeter. It looks like someone tried to use it to get in."
We quickly made our way to the hidden entrance. Sure enough, it looked like someone had attempted to force their way in.
"I want a thorough search of the entire place. We can't let anyone slip through."
The team dispersed, checking every corner of the facility. I stayed near the entrance, watching closely.
"Ana, this isn't good. If they've found a way in, it means they might have more access points," Martin said.
"I know, Martin. But we need to find whoever is responsible and stop them before they cause more damage."
As we continued the search, my thoughts kept drifting back to Dante. What would he do in this situation? How would he handle this threat? But I had to stop thinking about the past and focus on the present.
"Over here!" one of our men shouted, breaking the silence. "We've got someone!"
We rushed to where the voice was coming from and found one of our men holding an intruder. The man looked scared, but I wasn't going to show any mercy.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" I demanded.
The intruder mumbled something incoherent, but I didn't have time for games.
"Talk now, or I promise you'll regret it."
Finally, the man started speaking. "I'm just a messenger. They paid me to get information. I don't know who they are, I swear."
"And what information are you looking for?"
"Anything about your operations. I'm just the middleman."
Martin stepped closer, his expression fierce. "Take him away and make sure he can't inform anyone. We're going to find out who's behind this."
The man was led away, and I felt a momentary relief. But I knew this was just the beginning. The threats were constant, and we couldn't afford to let our guard down for a second.
We returned to the base, where Luisa was already waiting.
"What happened?" she asked.
"An intruder, looking for information. We have him in custody."
"We need to stay vigilant. We don't know how many more might be out there."
"I know. But we're not going to let them defeat us. We're stronger than this."
No matter how many threats we faced, we were going to fight and protect what was ours.