Chapter 2 - THE LAUNDRY ROOM REVELATION
The industrial laundry room smelled of heavy chlorine, lavender detergent, and damp stone. Leo, Matteo’s silent shadow, closed the heavy oak door from the outside, leaving Clara alone with the massive 150-pound cane corso.
Bruno stood in the center of the tiled floor, water pooling around his paws. He looked less like a fearsome beast and more like a shivering monument of muscle. Clara did not rush toward him. She remembered the frozen courtyard, the frantic breathing, and the stiff hind leg.
"Easy, big guy," she murmured, keeping her voice low and even. She dragged two thick rubber mats across the slick floor, creating a safe, non-slip island for the dog. "I know you hate the metal tubs. I know they hurt."
She sat cross-legged on the floor, several feet away, letting him adjust to her presence. Slowly, Bruno lowered his bulk onto the rubber mat. His dark eyes never left her face. Clara picked up a soft, heated towel from the dryer and tossed it gently over his back, avoiding his head.
Unbeknownst to Clara, a small security monitor in Matteo’s private study was broadcasting every second of the interaction. Matteo sat behind his mahogany desk, watching the screen intently. Bianca stood nearby, arms crossed, her expression twisted with annoyance.
"She's pandering to an animal, Matteo. Fire her," Bianca demanded.
"Quiet," Matteo replied, his gaze fixed on the screen.
In the laundry room, Clara began to massage the thick muscles around Bruno’s shoulders, moving slowly down toward his stiff hind leg. The dog let out a low, rumbling sigh that shook the room, leaning his massive weight against her knee. As she worked the towel over his collar, her fingers brushed against something hard hidden beneath his thick fur—a heavy, encrypted metallic tracking collar fitted with a remote detonator and microchip. It wasn't standard veterinary equipment. It was a surveillance device used by high-level syndicates.
Clara froze. Bruno turned his head, letting out a soft whine.
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Outside the door, Leo knocked twice before opening it just an inch. "Mr. Moretti requests your presence in the study immediately, Miss Hayes. Leave the dog."
Clara stood up, her heart pounding against her ribs. She had just stumbled onto a secret that could get her killed, and the man who owned the estate—and the dog—was waiting for her.
