Chapter 4 - The Shadow of the Moretti
By dawn, the mansion was under a complete military-grade lockdown.
The twins were out of danger, sleeping soundly under the watchful eyes of automated monitors. Marlene had been given intravenous fluids and iron supplements; her color was returning, though she remained deeply exhausted.
Roland sat in his darkened study, a glass of amber whiskey sitting untouched on his desk. Across from him stood Marcus, his tactical commander, a man who had replaced Pike within hours of the betrayal.
"Pike talked before he broke, Boss," Marcus reported quietly. "The Moretti family promised him full control of the northern ports if he eliminated the heirs. They wanted to break you psychologically so they could move on your territory. But there’s something else."
"Speak," Roland muttered.
"Pike wasn't the one who arranged the abduction five years ago. That was your late wife, Isabella, working independently with a rogue faction of the Moretti clan before the alliance broke. They have documentation, Boss. They know Marlene Walsh is the mother. They were planning to use her as a political weapon against you later, to expose your illegitimate heirs to the Commission and strip you of your title."
Roland closed his eyes, his fist tightening around his glass until the crystal shattered, mirroring the mess Marlene had made on his floor the previous day. His entire life was a web of deceit woven by the people he had trusted most.
The door to the study clicked open. Marlene stood there, wearing a soft, oversized silk robe one of the maids had given her. She looked frail, but her eyes were like cold steel.
"They're awake," she said simply.
Roland immediately stood up, abandoning his broken glass. He followed her back to the medical wing.
When they entered, Leo and Mia were sitting up in their beds, drinking warm broth. As soon as they saw Roland, their faces lit up. "Daddy!" Mia called out, her voice small but clear.
Roland rushed to them, embracing them with a fierce, protective desperation. But as he held them, he looked over their shoulders at Marlene, who stood near the door, a look of profound, bittersweet longing on her face. The children didn't know her. To them, she was just the woman who had been there when they were sick.
"Leo, Mia," Roland said softly, loosening his embrace. He looked at Marlene, signaling her to come closer. "There’s someone you need to meet. This is... this is Marlene. She’s the reason you feel better. She’s very special."
Mia looked at Marlene with wide, innocent eyes. "Are you an angel?"
Marlene’s heart broke into a thousand pieces. She knelt by the bedside, her voice trembling as she took Mia’s hand. "No, sweetheart. Just someone who has missed you very, very much."
Before the moment could deepen, the mansion's perimeter sirens began to wail—a long, screeching tone that signaled a direct breach of the outer estate walls.
The glass windows of the medical wing suddenly shattered inward as a heavy-caliber round tore through the room, embedding itself in the far wall. Marcus slammed the door open, his rifle raised.
"Boss! It’s a full assault! The Moretti family—they brought a strike team! They know Pike failed, and they’re trying to wipe out the entire house before we can retaliate!"
Roland’s protective instincts exploded into overdrive. He grabbed the twins, shielding them with his body as another volley of gunfire sprayed the outer hallway.
"Marcus! Get the twins to the safe room below the garage!" Roland ordered, pulling a heavy submachine gun from a hidden compartment beneath the medical counter. He looked at Marlene, who was standing over the children, ready to use her own body as a shield. "Marlene, go with them. Stay inside the vault. No matter what you hear outside, do not open that door until you hear my voice."
May you like
"Don't die, Roland," she said, her voice sharp amid the chaos. "You still owe me five years of explanations."
"I intend to pay my debts," Roland said, a deadly grin appearing on his face as he stepped into the smoke-filled hallway, ready to unleash hell on the men who had threatened his family.
