Chapter 5 - the message in the seams
By midnight, the estate was quiet save for the gentle patter of rain against the tall bedroom windows.
Alina stood in her luxurious master guest room, surrounded by plush velvet furniture, a roaring marble fireplace, and tall silk draperies. She had changed out of her work uniform into a soft ivory silk robe provided by the house staff.
She sat on the edge of the plush bed, holding her mother's silver dragon necklace between her fingers.
A quiet knock sounded on the heavy mahogany door.
"Alina? It's Dante," his deep voice called out softly.
"Come in," Alina said, setting the necklace down.
Dante stepped into the room, dressed in an open-collar black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing the dark, intricate tattoos covering his muscular arms. In his hands, he carried a heavy velvet box.
"How are you holding up?" Dante asked, stepping over to the fireplace.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," Alina admitted honestly, looking up into his rugged face. "Eight months ago, I was just a waitress worrying about my mother's missing rent. Now I'm sitting in a palace, being told I'm part of a global crime syndicate."
Dante sat in a leather armchair across from her, setting the velvet box on the coffee table. "My family built an empire on loyalty, Alina. But loyalty attracts snakes. My late father left a secondary trust meant solely for my sister Elena. If she was alive, fifty percent of our international shipping holdings were legally hers."
Alina’s brow furrowed. "Fifty percent...?"
"Yes," Dante nodded grimly. "And for twenty-eight years, because Elena was missing, those holdings were managed by Sofia Rosselli."
Alina’s eyes widened in realization. "Sofia... that's why she looked at me like that downstairs!"
"If you are proven to be Elena's legal daughter," Dante explained, opening the velvet box to reveal a set of old property deeds and legal seals, "Sofia loses full administrative control over those trusts tomorrow morning."
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Suddenly, the red emergency button on Dante’s wristwatch flashed rapidly. Vincent’s rushed voice came through his discreet earpiece.
"Boss! We have a breach at the outer east gate! An unidentified vehicle just rammed the barrier, and two men dropped a package on the driveway!"
