Chapter 26 - The Alpine ChaletThe chalet stood like a fortress carved from stone and dark timber, surrounded by towering pine trees and razor-wire fencing. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter, unaware of our approach in the heavy alpine mist.
Carmine moved like a shadow, disabling the perimeter cameras while our enforcers neutralized the guards with silent precision.
We slipped through the heavy oak side doors into the chalet's grand foyer. A roaring fire crackled in the massive stone fireplace, casting dancing shadows across antique rugs and taxidermy mounts.
From the second-floor landing, a voice rang out—cold, aristocratic, and utterly unafraid.
"I knew you'd come, Gabriel. You have the stubborn pride of a dying animal."
We looked up. Evelyn Vance stood at the top of the grand staircase, draped in a black cashmere shawl. Her silver-streaked hair was immaculate, and her grey eyes glittered with a fanatical, unhinged brilliance. In her hand, she held a small electronic detonator.
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"It's over, Evelyn," Gabriel said, raising his pistol and stepping forward. "Your guards are unconscious, your accounts are frozen, and you have nowhere left to run."
Evelyn laughed, a sharp, brittle sound that echoed off the vaulted timber ceiling. "Run? My dear boy, I'm not running. This chalet is wired with enough C4 to blow this entire mountain peak into the lake. If I go down, the Falcone empire goes down with me."
