CHAPTER FORTY SIX – DAUNTING THREATS

One afternoon, as Joan hurried between classes, a flash of blonde hair caught her eye. She turned to see Lena , Vito's ex-girlfriend, ducking behind a tree. Joan's heart raced as she changed direction, trying to catch Lena in the act. "Lena!" Joan called out, her voice sharp with anger and fear. "I know you're there. Stop following me!" Lena emerged from behind the tree, her face a mask of innocence. "Joan, hi! I was just... tying my shoe. Fancy running into you here." Joan wasn't buying it. "Cut the act, Lena. This isn't the first time I've seen you lurking around. What do you want?" Lena's expression hardened. "I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe you're just paranoid." Before Joan could respond, Lena turned and walked away quickly, leaving Joan feeling shaken and frustrated. That evening, as Joan approached her car in the campus parking lot, she stopped short, her blood running cold. Her tires had been slashed, and across the hood, someone had keyed the words "BACK OF