Chapter 6 - The crimson queen's gambit
The hidden staircase ended at a heavy steel door that opened directly into the estate’s massive underground parking garage. Lorenzo pushed the door open, his weapon raised, sweeping the area. The garage was lit by the dim, flickering glow of emergency backup lights. Rows of luxury vintage cars and armored SUVs sat in perfect silence.
“My armored car is in the back,” Lorenzo whispered, guiding her swiftly through the maze of vehicles.
They were fifty feet away from the black SUV when the entire garage was suddenly flooded with blinding, bright cinematic halogen lights.
Amelia shielded her eyes, shrinking behind Lorenzo’s massive frame.
Standing in front of the garage exit, blocking their only path to freedom, was Vivienne. She was no longer wearing the ruined crimson gown. She was dressed in a sharp, tailored black trench coat, her blond hair pulled back tightly. Beside her stood eight heavily armed men, their weapons aimed directly at Lorenzo’s chest.
Vivienne clapped her hands slowly, a mocking, vicious smile spreading across her face.
“Bravo, Lorenzo,” Vivienne called out, her American accent echoing loudly in the concrete cavern. “The knight in shining armor trying to save the damsel. It’s poetic. But unfortunately, it’s bad for business.”
Lorenzo didn't flinch. He kept his gun aimed steadily at Vivienne’s head. “Stand down, Vivienne. You don't have the authority to lock down this estate.”
“I do when the acting boss commits treason against the family,” Vivienne retorted, stepping forward confidently, her high heels clicking sharply on the concrete. “The council held an emergency vote twenty minutes ago. You lied to them, Lorenzo. You hid the existence of the true heir. You tried to steal the empire for yourself.”
“I am trying to protect her from you,” Lorenzo snarled, his voice a dangerous, low rumble.
“She is a maid!” Vivienne screamed, her composed facade cracking into pure, hateful rage. “She is a peasant who scrubbed my floors! She doesn't deserve the Vescari name, and she certainly doesn't deserve the billions your father left her! Hand her over, Lorenzo. Walk away, and I’ll let you keep your life. You can disappear. But the girl dies here.”
Amelia felt a cold terror wash over her. She grabbed Lorenzo’s arm, ready to tell him to run, ready to sacrifice herself so he could live.
But Lorenzo didn't move. He reached back with his left hand, intertwining his large fingers with Amelia’s, holding her hand in a tight, unyielding grip.
“You misunderstood the council’s vote, Vivienne,” Lorenzo said, an icy, terrifying smile touching the corners of his mouth. “You think you bought my men. But my men don't follow the money. They follow the blood.”
Suddenly, the heavy metal shutters of the garage bays behind Vivienne began to rise with a deafening screech. The bright headlights of four black SUVs illuminated the ramp.
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Before Vivienne could turn around, the doors of the SUVs swung open. Dozens of men in sharp suits stepped out, raising their weapons. But they weren't aiming at Lorenzo. They were aiming at Vivienne’s guards.
The crimson queen had played her gambit, but Lorenzo had been playing a completely different game.
