Chapter 6 - Blood on the Perimeter
The morning erupted into absolute chaos following Raphael’s departure. By noon, the entire mansion was locked down under a strict code red. Armed guards in tactical gear patrolled the corridors, and the staff was confined to their quarters. I sat on the edge of my narrow bed, staring unseeingly at my nursing textbook while the distant, muffled pop of silenced gunfire echoed from the northern courtyard.
Victor Moretti had made his move.
For months, an underground war had been brewing between the Orsini syndicate and the Moretti family over the lucrative shipping docks along Lake Michigan. But today's attack wasn't just a turf war—it was a direct assault on Raphael’s stronghold. And worse, as I cleaned the hallway windows later that afternoon under the watchful eye of armed guards, I overheard fragments of panicked conversation among the capos: someone within the inner circle had leaked the estate’s security blueprint.
A traitor was inside the house.
At 8:00 PM, a sharp knock rattled my door. I threw it open, expecting Freddy or a security detail, but instead, Fredric Kovac stood there, his face pale, holding a sealed envelope stamped with the Orsini family crest.
"The boss wants this delivered to you personally," Freddy whispered, casting a nervous glance up and down the corridor. "And he said... if anyone asks, you're to be brought to the private medical wing immediately."
"Why?" I demanded, tearing open the envelope.
Inside was a single handwritten note in Raphael's bold, slashing cursive:
The leak is inside the security team. They know about you, Elena. Pack a bag. You aren't safe in the east wing anymore.
May you like
Before I could even draw breath to process the warning, a deafening explosion rocked the mansion's foundation. Power lines blew, plunging the corridors into pitch-black darkness, save for the flickering red emergency lights. Screams echoed from the main foyer. The glass window at the end of my hallway shattered inward as a heavy-caliber bullet pierced the wall, embedding itself inches from my head.
The war had reached my doorstep. And there was nowhere left to hide.
