Chapter 3 - The Traitor Within"Who wears that cufflink?" Adrian's voice dropped to a terrifying whisper.
Victor Vance, the head of security who had served the Vale family for fifteen years, stepped forward. His expression was unreadable, carved from cold stone. "Boss... that could belong to several suppliers, or even someone from the dock syndicate trying to frame us."
"Don't lie to me, Victor," Adrian snarled, drawing a heavy steel-barreled automatic pistol from his shoulder holster with blinding speed. The click of the safety disengaging sounded like a gunshot in the silent room. "That specific, custom-engraved anchor motif with the ruby inlay was forged by Italian artisans in Naples. I bought six pairs. I gave one pair to my brother, one to my accountant, one to you, and one to..." Adrian stopped, his chest heaving with violent fury. "...and one to my late wife's brother, Julian."
My breath caught in my throat. Julian? Isabel’s brother?
"He died in a boating accident six months ago," Victor protested cautiously.
"Or so he wanted us to believe," Adrian hissed. He turned to Paulie and two other guards. "Tear apart the East Wing guest quarters. Tear apart the boathouse. Bring me Julian, or bring me his head."
As the guards scrambled out of the room, Adrian turned his burning gaze back toward me. He walked over, stopping just a foot away. For a brief second, the untouchable mob boss vanished, replaced by a shattered man looking at the woman holding his only surviving child.
"You saved him twice now, Hannah," Adrian murmured, his hand hovering inches from Lucas’s blanket as if he were afraid his scarred fingers would contaminate the purity of his son. "If you hadn't cooked breakfast this morning... if you hadn't been standing right there..."
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"I didn't do it for you, Adrian," I replied steadily, meeting his intense dark eyes. "I did it because an innocent baby shouldn't pay for the sins of the monsters running this city."
Adrian flinched slightly at the word monsters, but he didn't argue. Instead, a dark, dangerous resolve settled over his features. "The person who wants my son dead is still inside these walls. And before tonight, I am going to tear this empire down to find out why."
