Chapter 4 - The Threat of the Night
The storm that hit Chicago that evening was fierce, driving sheets of rain against the tall windows of the Duca estate.
Inside the security wing, Sophia sat on the edge of the bed in her private suite, watching Emma play with her gray rabbit. The little girl was oblivious to the danger that surrounded them, her laughter a sweet, innocent contrast to the heavy, armed guards patrolling the hallway outside.
The door opened, and Alessandro walked in. He had discarded his suit jacket, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He looked tired, but his eyes were bright with a protective intensity.
“Are you both comfortable?” he asked, sitting on a low chair near Emma.
“We are safe, Mr. Duca,” Sophia said, her voice soft. “But... I heard the guards talking. You confronted Valerio today. He’s not a man who backs down. He’s going to strike back.”
“Let him try,” Alessandro said. “This estate is a fortress. Caleb has doubled the perimeter security, and we’ve replaced the entire kitchen staff with trusted security personnel. No food or drink enters this house without being chemically tested first.”
Emma looked up from her toy, her purple-framed glasses sliding slightly down her nose. She crawled over to Alessandro and rested her small hand on his knee.
“Are you still worried, sir?” she asked, her voice small and sweet.
Alessandro’s heart softened, a sensation he hadn't felt in years. He reached down and gently pushed her glasses back up her nose.
“No, little one,” Alessandro said, his voice unusually gentle. “Thanks to you, I’m not worried at all. You’re the bravest girl I know.”
“I want to be a doctor when I grow up,” Emma announced, her eyes shining behind the lenses. “Like Daddy. So I can help people who smell the bad medicine.”
Sophia turned her head away, a quiet sob escaping her lips. Alessandro looked at her, seeing not just a frightened servant, but a mother who had sacrificed everything to keep her child safe from the very monsters he had spent his life fighting.
Suddenly, the lights in the estate flickered and went out.
The soft hum of the backup generators failed to kick in. The room was plunged into pitch-black darkness, save for the occasional flash of lightning from the windows.
May you like
Over the intercom, Caleb’s voice came through, filled with static and urgency.
“Boss! We’ve got a breach! The main power line was cut from the outside. Multiple intruders on the south lawn. They’re moving fast toward the guest wing!”
