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The silence in the grand office after the exit of the associates felt heavy, vibrating with an unspoken tension that could shatter glass. / Chapter 12 / 20

Chapter 12 - The Whispers in the East Wing

While the upper levels of the Morty estate hummed with administrative power, shadows still lingered in the corners of the vast mansion.

Elena, the head housekeeper who had quietly protected Alina during her months as a maid, walked the dim corridors of the east wing with a silver tray. Though the immediate threats had been neutralized, the inner domestic staff was still adjusting to the seismic shift in the household hierarchy.

A young footman rushed past, dropping a stack of linen. "Sorry, Signora Elena! The master’s security detail requested extra perimeter checks near the western gardens."

Elena stopped, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Did they specify why?"

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"A drone signature," the footman whispered nervously. "Low altitude. Unregistered. It hovered over the master suite balcony for three seconds before our jammers took it down."

Elena’s heart skipped a beat. The assassins at the gala had been dealt with, but Victor Santoro had deep roots across the Atlantic. Someone else was watching, waiting for a crack in the fortress.

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