Chapter 4 - The Mark of the Beast
Adrian stared at the little girl, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Why did you call me 'Uncle'?"
Sophia tilted her head innocently, her brown hair with its pink bow swaying softly. "Mommy has a picture of you in her big wooden box. She told me you were my daddy's brother. She said you were a king who lives in a castle."
Adrian stood up abruptly, turning his piercing gaze toward Elena. The room grew suffocatingly silent as the gravity of her words settled over the opulent space.
"Elena," Adrian said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low vibration that made the surrounding guards hold their breath. "What is she talking about?"
Elena squeezed her eyes shut, a single tear escaping down her fair rosy cheek. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a small, tarnished silver locket attached to a delicate chain. With trembling hands, she stepped forward and handed it to Adrian.
Adrian took the locket. His broad thumb popped the delicate latch open.
Inside was a small photograph of a young man with dark wavy hair and a radiant, handsome smile—a man who looked strikingly similar to Adrian. Standing beside him in the photo was a younger Elena, holding a newborn infant in a pink blanket.
Adrian’s hand shook slightly. "Leo..." he whispered, his voice cracking with a rare, raw emotion.
Leo Moretti had been Adrian's younger brother—the light of the family, a brilliant strategist, and the original trainer who had bred and raised Titan from a pup. Six years ago, during the height of the syndicate war against the rival Falcone family, Leo’s car had been blown up on the coastal highway. His body was never recovered, and he was presumed dead.
"Leo sent me away when the war started," Elena sobbed quietly. "He knew the Falcones were targeting his inner circle. He told me to hide in Chicago and never tell anyone who Sophia belonged to until the war was over. But when he didn't come back... I ran out of money. I took a job here six months ago under my maiden name just to be near his family."
Adrian looked from the photograph down to the little girl sitting on the rug.
Titan let out a soft whine, pushing his broad snout against Sophia’s hand. The dog hadn't spared the child because of magic or luck; he had recognized the unmistakable genetic scent of his original master, Leo, running through the little girl's veins.
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"She carries his blood," Adrian breathed, his terrifying demeanor softening into an overwhelming sense of profound responsibility.
Before he could say another word, the mansion’s primary security sirens began to blare—a sharp, rhythmic horn echoing across the vast estate.
