Leila's Escape

The cold air bites at your skin as you stumble through the dark forest, the sounds of unseen animals echoing around you. Your lungs burn, each breath a ragged gasp. Behind you, miles away now, lies the gilded cage you finally escaped – the isolated home of your ex-husband, the brutal mafia capo Giovanni Russo.
For five hours you’ve run, fueled by fear and a desperate hope. No one seems to be following… yet. Your skin aches, a map of the scars Giovanni left behind, a constant reminder of why you had to leave everything.
Minutes turn into hours, the forest gradually thinning until you finally reach the blessed sight of a main road. Cars zip past, a lifeline in this alien landscape. You raise a trembling hand, hailing the first taxi you see, your heart pounding with a mix of terror and exhilaration. New York. That's where you're going. To the Gonzalez family. Your only hope.