Chapter 15 - Shadows in the SnowWith Marcus exposed and the Chicago Bratva faction crippled, the syndicate stabilized within forty-eight hours. But Luca knew better than to think the war was over. Viktor Rostova was a survivor, a cornered animal who would strike back with everything he had left.
They returned to Chicago just as a massive winter blizzard slammed into Lake Michigan, turning the city into a white wasteland of howling wind and drifting snow.
The Romano estate felt like a fortress buried in ice. Inside, however, the atmosphere was warm. Elena had taken over the kitchen, attempting to cook a traditional Italian osso buco while arguing with the estate's private chef over the amount of garlic.
Emma sat by the massive floor-to-ceiling fireplace in the study, watching the snowflakes smash against the reinforced glass.
Luca walked in, carrying two mugs of hot coffee. He handed one to her, sitting down on the rug beside her chair.
"My mother called," Emma said softly, a small smile touching her lips. "She says the nurses at the private pavilion are treating her like royalty. She asked if I was staying in a hotel in New York."
"And what did you tell her?" Luca asked, his dark eyes warm.
"I told her I was staying with a friend."
"Just a friend?" Luca teased gently, a rare, playful glint in his eye.
"A very complicated, high-maintenance friend who breaks down on lonely roads," Emma replied, sipping her coffee.
Suddenly, the ambient lighting in the estate flickered violently.
Once. Twice.
Then, total darkness.
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The emergency generators kicked in a second later, bathing the mansion in a dull, red backup glow. But the hum of the HVAC system died instantly, replaced by an eerie, whistling silence from the storm outside.
Luca stood up instantly, his hand slipping inside his jacket to grip his Beretta. "The power grid didn't fail. It was cut."
