Chapter 4 - The Ultimate BetrayalThe silence in the ruined theater was absolute, save for the steady drip of rainwater leaking through the roof into a rusty bucket somewhere in the orchestra pit.
Arthur Vance chuckled, a dry, papery sound that scraped against the acoustics of the grand hall.
"Save the tough-guy act, Matteo," Arthur sneered, stepping closer to the edge of the stage. "You think you bought yourself a queen, but you bought a Trojan horse. Ask her whose blood is really kicking inside that belly. Go on, little girl. Tell him about the Mercer bloodline you're smuggling into his palace."
Sophie’s breath hitched. She pressed both hands against her stomach, shielding her child instinctively.
Matteo slowly turned his head. His eyes weren't filled with rage—they were terrifyingly, impossibly calm. That stillness was far more dangerous than any explosion.
"Is this true, Sophie?" Matteo asked. His voice didn't accuse; it simply demanded the truth of the universe.
Tears spilled over Sophie’s eyelashes, hot and fast. "Matteo, listen to me—"
"Answer the question," Kyle snapped, stepping forward greedily. "Tell him the baby is mine! Tell him you only went to him because you needed a shield when I kicked you out! You're nothing, Sophie. You're a scam artist playing dress-up with a monster!"
Before Kyle could finish his sentence, a deafening crack echoed through the theater.
It wasn't a gunshot. It was Matteo's fist connecting directly with Kyle's jaw.
The impact sent Kyle flying backward, crashing hard through a row of antique wooden seats, sending splinters flying everywhere. Kyle hit the dusty floor, groaning in agony, blood spilling from a split lip.
Arthur Vance's smile vanished instantly. He signaled his men in the shadows, and four armed thugs raised their weapons, aiming directly at Matteo's chest.
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In a fraction of a second, Matteo's four bodyguards drew their own weapons, forming an impenetrable wall of steel around Matteo and Sophie. Red laser sights crisscrossed the dusty air, turning the theater into a literal war zone.
"You lose, Arthur," Matteo said coldly, not even glancing at the guns pointed at his heart. "Because unlike you... I already knew."
