Chapter 13 - Into the Subterranean LabyrinthIsabella didn't hesitate. She threw open her bedroom door and sprinted down the dimly lit hallway toward the children's quarters.
Lucas, Mateo, and Sofia—now ten years old—were huddled together in the corridor, clutching each other in absolute terror as the sound of gunfire echoed from the lower levels.
"Isabella!" Sofia cried, running straight into her arms.
"I've got you," Isabella said firmly, her voice steady despite the adrenaline hammering in her chest. "Listen to me very carefully. We need to move. Right now."
She led them down a hidden panel behind the library bookshelf—a secure architectural addition Marcus had installed specifically for emergencies. The narrow metal spiral staircase plunged downward into the subterranean reinforced concrete safe room deep beneath the estate foundations.
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As the heavy steel hatch slammed shut overhead, locking automatically from the inside, the muffled sound of heavy combat filtered down from above.
Through the security monitors mounted on the safe room wall, Isabella watched in horror as three masked operatives in tactical black gear swept through the grand hallway, systematically destroying security cameras and searching for the family.
