Chapter 7 - The Uninvited GuestThe peace didn't last forever. In the underworld, power is a vacuum that never stays empty for long.
It happened on a crisp autumn evening. The estate was quiet, the security system humming with absolute perfection. Adrian was downstairs in the private gym working on his leg braces, pushing his body to the absolute limit.
I was in the nursery singing our son to sleep when the lights in the mansion flickered once, twice, and then went completely black.
Emergency generators kicked in three seconds later, bathing the hallways in a dull, crimson glow.
My instincts, honed by a childhood on the run and sharpened by the recent attack, flared instantly. I locked the nursery door, drew the suppressed pistol Adrian had gifted me from beneath the mattress, and stood beside the crib.
The intercom on the wall crackled to life.
It wasn't Adrian’s voice.
It was a smooth, unfamiliar voice, dripping with icy arrogance, echoing through every room in the mansion.
"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Moretti," the stranger purred over the speakers. "I apologize for dropping in unannounced. But my associates and I crossed an ocean to retrieve something that belongs to the Romano family. And since the traitor Vane failed... I figured I would come collect it myself."
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My heart slammed against my ribs.
Another faction. Someone else knew I was a Romano. Someone else was coming for the crown.
