Chapter 78

• ARIEL
• After talking to Maria, we were worn out, both mentally and physically. We had been leading up to this day for weeks and at long last, it had arrived. We packed all the documents we had gathered against Maria into a safe box and proceeded to have dinner. The tension in the air was clear, but we tried to keep our nerves in check.
• As we discussed our plans with Elias, who had been a good observer until now. He listened carefully, his eyes opening wide with understanding. "I'm in," he said, his voice firm, "I will do whatever it takes to help you bring Maria down."