Chapter 7 - The Fire in the Mansion
Selene stood on the balcony landing, her black evening gown torn at the hem, her diamond earrings sparkling under the red emergency strobes. Standing behind her were four armed mercenaries carrying assault rifles.
"Put the child down, Damien," Selene commanded, her voice cold and merciless. "You were supposed to marry me next month. You were supposed to let the Hart Group absorb the Moretti empire peacefully. But you had to let a five-year-old maid's bastard ruin everything."
Damien did not put Lily down. He shifted his broad body, completely shielding his daughter with his frame, his dark eyes fixed on Selene like an executioner.
"You poisoned Clara," Damien said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying register that made even the mercenaries behind Selene shift uncomfortably. "You killed my wife, you stole six years of my daughter's life, and you thought you could sit in her chair at my table."
Selene let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Clara was weak! She didn't deserve to rule this city beside you! I did! And nobody is ever going to believe a handwritten note from a dead woman!"
"She doesn't need to believe it," Marco’s voice echoed from the shadows above.
Before Selene could turn her head, Marco Rossi stepped out from the upper security gallery, accompanied by four elite Moretti guards with raised weapons.
"Drop your weapons!" Marco thundered.
A brief, chaotic firefight erupted along the upper balcony. Marco’s men eliminated the mercenaries in seconds, while Damien moved with incredible speed, carrying Lily safely into the alcove beneath the stairs with Eva right beside him.
Selene tried to bolt down the private service stairwell, but Marco cut her off, snatching the silver firearm from her hand and slamming her against the marble wall, clamping heavy steel handcuffs onto her wrists.
"It's over, Selene," Marco growled, dragging her down the stairs to where Damien stood holding his daughter.
Selene glared at Damien, her aristocratic facade entirely destroyed. "You think this changes anything, Moretti? My father controls the state judiciary! You have no legal proof that stands up in a court of law!"
Damien walked slowly up to her, holding Lily securely on his hip. He pulled the small silver capsule from his suit pocket and held it in front of Selene’s face.
"The key inside this capsule opens Vault 402 at St. Jude's Hospital," Damien said softly. "The vault where Dr. Harrison Vance kept the original blood samples from the night Clara died. Marco’s team is securing that vault right now."
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Selene’s eyes widened in absolute, horrifying realization. Her knees gave out, and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing hysterically as Marco dragged her away into custody.
Damien turned to Eva, his dark eyes softening. "Pack your things, Eva. We're going to upstate New York."
