Chapter 4 - The Vance UltimatumBy late evening, the atmosphere inside the Moretti mansion had shifted from quiet luxury to a coiled spring of lethal readiness. Guards patrolled the corridors in pairs, assault rifles slung across their chests, and the blacked-out SUVs parked in the motor court signaled that every high-ranking lieutenant in the syndicate had been summoned for an emergency council.
Maya was cleaning the library on the second floor when the heavy oak doors burst open.
Adrien strode into the room, his tie discarded, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, exposing the powerful muscles of his arms. His face was carved from granite, his eyes burning with a cold, terrifying fury. Behind him walked Giancarlo and two other armed guards.
Adrien stopped dead when he saw her standing by the mahogany bookshelf with a feather duster in hand.
"Get out of the house, Maya," he said without preamble.
Maya dropped the duster. "What? Why? What’s happening?"
"The drive you found," Adrien said, his voice tight and controlled, though a vein throbbed violently at his temple. "It contained our encrypted ledger for the upcoming European arms shipment. It was downloaded directly from my private terminal. The traitor is someone within my inner circle—someone who knows my access codes."
"Then let me help you look—"
"No!" Adrien shouted, the sudden roar echoing off the high library ceilings with enough force to rattle the antique windowpanes. He took two rapid strides forward, grabbing her by the shoulders. His fingers were trembling slightly—not from fear, but from an overwhelming, white-hot rage. "Do you understand what is happening right now? The Vance cartel knows our positions. They are moving to strike tonight. This house is no longer safe. You are packing a bag and my driver is taking you to a secure safehouse thirty miles inland."
Maya looked up into his fierce, terrified eyes. Beneath the veneer of the cold mafia boss, she saw a man fighting a desperate war to protect everything he had built—and in that moment, she realized she didn't want to run.
"I’m not leaving you, Adrien," she whispered, her hands rising to rest against his chest, feeling the frantic, heavy beat of his heart beneath his shirt.
Adrien stared down at her, his jaw clenching. "Maya, you don't know what you're asking. If Victor Vance breaches this estate, he won't leave witnesses. I brought you into this world because I couldn't ignore you, but I will not let you die for it."
Before Maya could answer, the lights in the mansion flickered violently and died.
May you like
Total darkness plunged the library into shadow, broken only by the pale moonlight cutting through the tall windows. A split second later, the deep, thunderous roar of an explosion rocked the foundation of the estate, followed by the deafening rattle of automatic gunfire echoing from the front gates.
The attack had begun.
