Chapter 3 - The Shadow of the Boathouse
Damian stood in the master study, staring at the surveillance monitors while Dr. Vance completed his examination down the hall. Outside, rain tapped against the reinforced glass windows.
Twenty-two years ago, the Romano family empire had nearly shattered. Damian had been sixteen when the call came: his father, Anthony, the ruthless kingpin of the eastern seaboard, had collapsed in the secluded boathouse off the Susquehanna River. The family physician had signed off on a massive coronary infarction. Anthony was buried with full honors in the family mausoleum. Damian had inherited an empire bathed in blood and treachery before his twentieth birthday.
Now, a girl with his father’s eyes and his father’s watch had simply bypassed thirty-eight elite guards.
The study door clicked open. Dr. Vance stepped in, wiping his glasses.
"She’s healthy," Vance reported, his voice low. "Slightly dehydrated, minor scrapes on her soles from the gravel, but well-nourished. Damian... I took a cheek swab. Ran a rapid genetic comparison against your family registry in the medical vault."
Damian didn't turn around. "And?"
"She isn't an intruder’s child," Vance said cautiously. "She shares twenty-five percent of your DNA. She's family. A niece or a half-sister's daughter. Given her age, she can only be Anthony's granddaughter."
Damian felt the air leave his lungs. "My brother Marco died twelve years ago in Miami. He had no children."
"Then Anthony had another child," Vance said. "A daughter you never knew existed."
Before Damian could process the revelation, Luca hurried through the doorway, his phone pressed to his ear. His expression was grim.
May you like
"Damian," Luca said urgently, holding out the screen. "Local police scanners just lit up. The old family boathouse on the river. Someone set fire to it fifteen minutes ago."
***
