Chapter 4 - THE SHADOW IN THE SYSTEMFor the next four hours, Veronica led Rory and his top security team through the 15,000-square-foot estate. Armed with a spectrum analyzer from Rory's armory, she swept every room.
What she uncovered went far beyond a simple turf war.
In the master bedroom: a hidden camera built into the smoke detector. In the executive study: a high-gain laser microphone pointed at the window. In the server room: an unauthorized tap plugged directly into the estate's encrypted security feed.
Dante Moretti hadn't just bugged the house; he had turned the entire Starks estate into a glass aquarium. Every shipment code, every judge’s bribe, every dock schedule, and every security patrol route had been leaking to the Moretti family for months.
"He was draining us from the inside," Dominic grunted, smashing a hidden camera under his heavy boot. "No wonder we lost three major cargo shipments in New Jersey last month. He knew where our men were before we did."
Rory sat at his heavy oak desk in the study, pouring two fingers of aged scotch. He didn't drink it. He just stared into the amber liquid.
"He targeted my daughters to break me," Rory said softly. "He knew if I was awake all night, losing my mind, worrying about my girls, I wouldn't notice the shipments disappearing. He was using my children to destroy my mind while he stole my empire."
He looked up at Veronica, who was standing near the doorway, adjusting the spectrum analyzer.
"You have a trained eye, Veronica," Rory noted, his sharp gaze fixing on her. "A standard maid doesn't know how to operate a broad-band frequency scanner or identify defense-grade military infrasound. Who are you really?"
Veronica felt her spine stiffen. The room suddenly felt very small. Dominic moved subtly to block the door.
"I told you when I was hired," Veronica said, keeping her voice steady. "I worked in manufacturing before."
"You worked for Aegis Defense Systems," Rory countered, pulling a thin leather folder from his desk drawer. "My security team ran your background the day you were hired eight months ago. But your file was cleaned up nicely. Almost too nicely."
Veronica took a deep breath. She knew lying now would end with her buried beside Susan.
"My real name is Elena Vance," she said quietly. "My brother was Leo Vance. He was an accountant for the Moretti family. Six months ago, Dante Moretti had him murdered because Leo realized Dante was skimming off his own captains. I took a false identity and took a job in your house because I was looking for a way to bring Dante down."
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Rory stared at her for a long, agonizing moment. Then, a slow, dark smile spread across his face.
"Enemy of my enemy," Rory murmured. "It seems, Elena, that we have a common objective."
