CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE - WHERE LOYALTIES LIE

She ran towards their car, fumbling for the keys. Just as she reached it, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning, she saw Felix emerging from the lighthouse, his face contorted with rage. "It's over," he growled, advancing towards her. "Hand over the chest, now." Amelia stood her ground, her mind racing for a solution. She knew she couldn't outrun Felix, and Alessandro was still inside, possibly hurt or worse. As Felix came closer, tension thick in the air, Amelia made a split-second decision. She held the chest out in front of her, over the edge of the cliff that the lighthouse stood on. "Stay back," she warned. "Or I'll drop it into the sea." Felix froze, his eyes darting between Amelia and the chest. "You're bluffing," he said, but there was uncertainty in his voice. "Am I?" Amelia replied, her voice steady despite her fear. "Are you willing to take that chance? All your hard work, all your scheming, gone in an instant." As they stood in this tense standoff, Alessandro emerg