Chapter 6 - The First Strike
Morning came with a gray,
ashen light that did nothing to warm the mansion.
Alessandro was in the infirmary,
watching the monitors as Sophia’s heart rate stabilized.
The doctor had told him she would recover,
but it would take time,
and she needed absolute quiet.
He was about to leave when the alarm system began to wail,
a high-pitched shriek that tore through the silence of the house.
"Intruder at the north gate!"
Dante’s voice crackled over the intercom.
Alessandro grabbed his gun from the holster on the wall,
his instincts taking over.
"Secure the infirmary!"
he yelled at the guards.
"If anyone enters this room without my permission,
kill them."
He ran toward the north wing,
his boots thudding against the marble floors.
He found Dante and three other men huddled near the service entrance,
their weapons drawn.
"How many?"
Alessandro asked,
sliding into cover behind a stone pillar.
"Two vehicles,"
Dante replied,
his face tight with tension.
"They blew the gate with C4."
"They're not here for a conversation,
Boss."
A hail of bullets shattered the windows,
sending glass shards flying through the air like diamonds.
Alessandro fired back,
his aim true and deadly,
feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline in his veins.
He saw the attackers,
men in tactical gear with no markings,
moving with a professional efficiency that suggested they weren't just common thugs.
They were mercenaries,
hired to clean up a mess that had been left unfinished.
"They're trying to get to the cottage!"
one of the guards shouted.
"No,"
Alessandro said,
realizing the truth.
"They're trying to get to the infirmary."
"They know she’s here."
He pushed forward,
leading a counter-attack that caught the mercenaries off guard.
He was a whirlwind of violence,
a man who had spent his life preparing for this very moment.
But as he took down the last man in the hallway,
he realized something was wrong.
Dante wasn't behind him.
May you like
He turned and saw the head of security heading toward the elevator that led to the private quarters.
Where Emma was sleeping.
