Chapter 7 - The Council of Wolves
The subterranean safe rooms beneath the DeMarco estate resembled a high-security government bunker.
Thick concrete walls lined with steel plates isolated the suite from the outside world entirely.
Security monitors flickered silently against one wall, displaying every perimeter angle of the sprawling compound.
Natalie sat on the edge of a minimalist leather sofa, staring blankly at the cold, reinforced door.
The realization that her entire existence had been hijacked by a legacy of crime felt completely surreal.
Just three days ago, she had been worrying about keeping her job as a maid without getting fired.
Now, she was the focal point of a brewing underground war between two syndicates.
The heavy steel door slid open with a pneumatic hiss, and Ryan walked inside carrying a tray of food.
He set the tray down on the small table before her, his expression grim and guarded.
“You haven’t touched lunch,” Ryan noted, nodding toward the untouched bowl of soup.
“I’m not hungry,” Natalie replied quietly, keeping her gaze fixed on her hands.
“You have to eat, Natalie,” Ryan said, pulling up a chair and sitting down opposite her.
“Starving yourself will not make the danger go away.”
Natalie looked up, her dark eyes flashing with a sudden, sharp burst of frustration.
“Why are you doing this, Ryan?” she asked, her voice cracking under the emotional strain.
“Why protect someone you only met three days ago as a terrified servant?”
Ryan was silent for a long moment, staring down at his large, calloused hands.
“My mother was an innocent girl from a respectable family when Victor brought her here,” Ryan began slowly.
“She believed she was stepping into a fairy tale of wealth and power.”
“Instead, she found herself trapped in a world where everyone viewed her as a bargaining chip.”
“When she died of a broken heart ten years ago, I swore I would never let another innocent woman fall victim to this machine.”
He looked up, locking his intense gaze directly into Natalie’s eyes.
“You didn't ask for any of this, Natalie.”
“You didn't ask to be a DeMarco, and you certainly didn't ask for Moretti’s crosshairs on your back.”
“The least I can do is ensure you survive the mess my family created.”
Before Natalie could formulate a reply, the security intercom on the wall crackled to life with sharp static.
“Mr. DeMarco, you need to come to the upper command center immediately.”
Ryan stood up instantly, his relaxed posture vanishing into that of a lethal enforcer.
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“Stay inside this room, Natalie,” Ryan ordered, his hand instinctively resting on his sidearm.
“The biometric locks are engaged from the inside; nobody opens this door for anyone but me.”
