Chapter 6 - The Traitor Within
The kiss changed everything, but it didn't stop the war. Two days later, Damiano had to leave the estate to meet with the neutral Dons to secure their loyalty. He took half his security detail, leaving his most trusted lieutenant, Marco, in charge of our safety.
“I’ll be back by midnight,” Damiano had promised, kissing my forehead before he left. “Don't leave the safe room.”
By 10 PM, the storm outside was raging. Thunder shook the windows, masking the sounds of the night. I was reading to Emma in the reinforced panic room when the lights flickered and died. The backup generators didn't kick in. My heart stopped.
I grabbed my phone. No signal. The jammers were on. “Mommy, it’s too dark,” Emma whimpered. “Shh, baby. It's just a game of hide and seek,” I lied, pulling her under the heavy oak desk and wrapping a blanket around us. I grabbed a heavy brass letter opener—the only weapon I could find.
Outside the thick metal door of the safe room, I heard footsteps. But they weren't the heavy, disciplined boots of Damiano’s guards. “Open the door, Marco,” a woman’s voice commanded. Isabella. My blood turned to ice. Marco, Damiano's trusted right hand, was the traitor. “The code is 4-8-1-5,” Marco’s voice replied. He had sold us out.
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The electronic keypad beeped loudly. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. The heavy locking mechanism groaned, and the steel door swung open. Flashlight beams cut through the darkness, illuminating the room. “Well, well,” Isabella sneered, stepping into the room with a silenced pistol in her hand. “Look at the rats hiding in their hole.”
I pushed Emma behind me, standing up to shield her. “Don't touch her!” I screamed, gripping the letter opener. Isabella laughed, a cruel, high-pitched sound. “You ruined my wedding. You ruined my empire. Because of this little brat, my father’s reputation is in tatters.” She raised the gun, pointing it squarely at my chest. “Say goodbye, waitress.”
