Chapter 6 - THE BETRAYAL
They returned to the mansion at dawn.
Nobody spoke.
The attackers had disappeared.
Three guards were injured.
One was dead.
Nora walked into Dominic's bedroom.
She opened his medication drawer.
Every bottle was perfectly arranged.
Too perfectly.
She examined the labels.
Then she found it.
A tiny scratch beneath one bottle.
“Someone has been switching these.”
Dominic stood behind her.
“Who has access?”
“Your household staff.”
“Twenty-three people.”
Nora looked at him.
“Then we'll narrow it down.”
They gathered everyone.
One by one, Nora asked questions.
Nothing.
Until she noticed Leo.
He was unusually quiet.
Nora looked at his hands.
There was a red thread tied around his wrist.
The same symbol.
Dominic's gun appeared instantly.
Leo didn't move.
“Boss…”
Dominic's voice was deadly.
“Explain.”
Leo slowly untied the thread.
“It isn't mine.”
“Then whose?”
Leo looked at Nora.
“Your father's.”
Everyone froze.
He removed a small envelope from inside his jacket.
“I was ordered to deliver this if Nora ever entered the estate.”
Nora took it.
Inside was a single photograph.
Her father.
Alive.
Standing beside a young Elena.
On the back was written:
WHEN SHE FINDS THE TRUTH, TAKE HER TO THE CHURCH OF SAINT MICHAEL.
Dominic stared.
“That church burned down twenty years ago.”
Leo nodded.
“Exactly.”
Nora looked at the photograph.
Her father had one hand on Elena's shoulder.
The other held the silver music box.
Her heart pounded.
“It's still somewhere.”
Dominic looked at her.
“We find it.”
Before they could move, a phone rang.
Nobody recognized the ringtone.
It came from inside the house.
They followed it to the kitchen.
The phone was sitting on the counter.
A message appeared.
YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
Another message.
BRING NORA.
Then another.
OR HER FATHER DIES.
Nora's knees weakened.
Dominic caught her.
“Don't.”
She looked at him.
“My father is alive.”
“Yes.”
“And he's being held.”
“Yes.”
“Then we go.”
Dominic shook his head.
“No.”
Nora stepped closer.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“You think you can protect me by locking me inside this house.”
“I can.”
“You couldn't protect your sister.”
His expression changed.
Nora regretted the words immediately.
But Dominic didn't explode.
Instead, he whispered:
“No.”
He looked toward Elena.
“I couldn't.”
Then he looked at Nora.
“But I'm going to protect you.”
She stared at him.
“You can't promise that.”
“I can promise I'll die trying.”
For the first time, Nora saw the man behind the reputation.
Not the mafia boss.
Not the killer.
A wounded man terrified of losing someone else.
Her fingers touched his hand.
“Then don't die.”
Their eyes met.
For one brief second, the war disappeared.
Then Elena walked in.
“We have a bigger problem.”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
May you like
Elena held up her phone.
“Marco has taken the church.”
