Chapter 11 - The Phantom’s Gift
Two years of peace vanished in a single quiet second on Lily’s fifth birthday.
The grand ballroom of the estate was decorated in pastel ribbons and glowing lanterns. Little Lily sat in the center of the room, giggling as Dominic hoisted her onto his shoulders. Clara stood nearby, holding a camera, her smile radiating warmth. The dark days of the poison and the shootout seemed like a distant nightmare.
Then, a butler approached with a silver tray. On it rested a small, velvet box wrapped in black silk, tied with a crimson cord.
“A delivery for the young miss,” the butler bowed. “Left at the security gate by an unmarked courier.”
Dominic’s smile faltered. His instincts, sharpened by a lifetime of violence, flared instantly. He set Lily down gently behind Clara and stepped toward the tray. He pulled out a hand scanner to test for explosives or toxins—clean.
Carefully, Dominic untied the crimson cord and flipped open the velvet box.
Inside lay a single lock of golden hair and a tarnished silver locket shaped like a serpent. Beside it was a slip of heavy parchment written in dark red ink:
“You saved one half of my bloodline, Dominic. But you left the other half in my cage. Bring the master ledger to the ruins of San Lorenzo by midnight, or the twin sister you never knew existed dies.”
Clara gasped, dropping the camera. The glass shattered on the polished floor. She stepped forward, her hands shaking as she pulled the silver locket from the box. She pressed a small latch on the side, and the locket clicked open.
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Inside were two tiny baby photos, side by side. One was Lily. The second was an identical baby girl, wrapped in a blanket stamped with the Valenti crest.
Clara collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest. “Oh God… Dominic… my father didn't just take me four years ago. He took my second baby!”
