Chapter 14 - The Venetian Trap
Dominic glanced upward. Suspended from the high stone arches above were red laser grids, wired to hundreds of pounds of military-grade plastic explosives lining the cathedral pillars.
“The moment my heart stops beating, or the moment a single shot is fired, the detonators trigger,” Marco said smoothly. “We all burn together. The Moretti Don, the Valenti princess, and the little girl you came to save.”
The small girl chained to the altar raised her head. She didn't cry. She didn't flinch. Her eyes were empty, cold, and calculating—devoid of any childhood warmth.
“Iris,” Clara sobbed, taking a step forward. “Iris, baby, it’s Mommy…”
Iris stared at Clara without emotion. “My name is Subject Seven. Master Marco says mothers are a weak illusion.”
Dominic felt a sudden spike of horror. Marco hadn't just hidden Iris—he had conditioned her, brainwashing her from infancy to be a soulless assassin for the Valenti syndicate.
“She doesn't know you, Clara,” Marco sneered. “She belongs to me. And tonight, she will execute the task she was born to complete.”
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Marco reached into his pocket and clicked a small silver device.
Instantly, Iris’s eyes snapped shut. When she opened them, her pupils were dilated. With terrifying speed for a five-year-old, she reached behind the altar, pulled out a curved blade hidden in the stone, and lunged straight for Clara’s throat!
