Chapter 16 - The Trap Closes"You're trespassing," Alejandro warned, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register. He reached for his pocket to hit the security panic button.
Donato Rossi didn't flinch. Instead, he raised a small, encrypted remote control and pressed a single button.
Click.
Instantly, every light in the enormous mansion flickered and died. The smart-home automation system locked down with a heavy mechanical groan. The smart locks on the front and back doors slammed shut, sealing them inside.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the automated security lights blinked out, plunging the courtyard into absolute darkness.
"Don't bother with the panic button, Alejandro," Rossi said smoothly, stepping further into the dim foyer as emergency red backup lights flickered on overhead. "Our associates severed your satellite link five minutes ago. You're completely isolated."
Mateo’s voice echoed in terror from the upstairs hallway. "Daddy! The lights went out!"
Valeria’s heart hammered against her ribs, but her mind raced with razor-sharp clarity. She remembered the hidden vault blueprint she had studied with Prosecutor Vance.
"He's not here for money, Mr. Ríos," Valeria whispered urgently, grabbing Alejandro's sleeve. "He's looking for the master ledger—the digital drive Teresa hid before the raid. She didn't keep it in the vault; she hid a backup copy in the main smart-home server room behind the kitchen."
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Rossi’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating glare. "Smart girl. Too bad you won't live to see the morning."
Rossi snapped his fingers, and from the shadowy corridors flanking the dining room, two armed men stepped out, raising silenced pistols.
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