flash
Alessandro’s thumb traced the rough black stitching hidden beneath the velvet inner fold of the blue rabbit’s ear. It wasn't an ordinary craft flaw. It was a crest—a stylized serpent coiled around an inverted dagger. The mark of the Vipera, an ancient, forgotten faction of the Milanese underworld that had attempted a bloody coup against the Moretti bloodline fifteen years ago. / Chapter 7 / 8

Chapter 7 - THE BLOODLINE SACRIFICE

"Emma! NO!" I screamed, lunging forward, but Valeria caught me by the waist, holding me back.

"Don't run into his line of fire!" Valeria barked, keeping her eyes locked on the mercenaries.

Emma didn't stop. She ran straight across the windy helipad, her tiny shoes slapping against the asphalt. But she wasn't running toward Vance—she was running straight toward Alessandro.

"Mr. Bunny says you're hurting!" Emma sobbed, throwing her arms around Alessandro's bloodied legs where he was tied to the post.

Alessandro’s head snapped up. Through swollen, blood-caked eyes, his gaze softened with absolute panic. "Emma... no, baby, get away from me! It’s a trap!"

Doctor Vance laughed, stepping toward the little girl with an open hand. "How sweet. The little heir delivering herself right to me. Hand over the rabbit, little girl, and I might let your mother live to clean my offices."

Vance reached down to snatch the blue rabbit from Emma’s arms.

"Don't touch her!" I screamed, pulling the snub-nosed revolver from my apron and firing wildly toward Vance.

BANG!

The shot missed Vance, striking the chopper’s landing gear, but it distracted his guards for a split second.

That split second was all Alessandro needed.

Using every ounce of his remaining strength, Alessandro roared, flexing his massive shoulders and snapping the zip-ties binding his wrists against the sharp edge of the steel post. He swung his arm around, grabbing Vance by the throat, pulling the doctor into a chokehold from behind!

"Valeria, NOW!" Alessandro roared over the sound of the helicopter blades.

Valeria raised her weapon with terrifying speed. Three suppressed shots rang out in less than a second—three mercenaries dropped dead instantly. The fourth contractor tried to turn his gun on me, but I didn't think. I squeezed the trigger of my revolver again.

BANG!

The bullet struck the contractor in the chest. He stumbled backward and fell off the edge of the helipad cliff.

My hands shook violently. I had just shot a man. But there was no time to process it.

Vance was struggling frantically against Alessandro's grip, trying to thumb the red button on the detonator. "You fool! If you kill me, you'll never find out where Davide’s body is buried!" Vance gasped.

Alessandro leaned into Vance's ear, his voice lower than the roar of the blades. "I already know where my brother is buried, Vance. He's inside my heart. And you... are going to hell."

Alessandro snapped Vance’s neck with a brutal twist.

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The ink on the medical schedule wasn't standard printer black. It was darker, heavier, pressed down with the kind of deliberate malice that only a fountain pen could deliver. I stared at the signature at the bottom of the page, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

The ink on the medical schedule wasn't standard printer black. It was da...

The kitchen was so quiet you could hear the distant murmur of the jazz trio outside, playing as if the world hadn't just tilted on its axis. Grant stared at the single sheet of thick parchment resting against the cold Italian marble. His breath caught, a shallow, ragged hitch that gave away his panic before his voice ever could.

The kitchen was so quiet you could hear the distant murmur of the jazz t...

The silence that settled over the Ashford Hills grand terrace after my wedding ring hit the champagne glass wasn’t the polite hush of a high-society dinner. It was the breathless vacuum that precedes an explosion. Around us, smartphones remained elevated, lenses locked on Grant’s face as the pale gold liquid rippled around the platinum band.

The silence that settled over the Ashford Hills grand terrace after my w...

Vance’s body went limp, dropping the detonator to the floor. It rolled toward the edge of the helipad.

CHAPTER 7 HOOK: The detonator hit the metal lip, bounced, and activated automatically! A digital timer on the small screen flickered to life: 00:05... 00:04... 00:03... The explosive charges under the villa were armed!

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