Chapter 64
The ancient city of Florence was drenched in a freezing, miserable drizzle, the cobblestone streets reflecting the dim, yellow streetlights. At the university of fine arts, the atmosphere was vibrant and overwhelmingly crowded, courtesy of the high-profile charity event hosted by the legendary proprietor of Sweet Haven. Not a single Consortium spotter paid any attention to the massive, industrial ingredient crates being wheeled into the underground loading dock—crates that served as the perfect Trojan horse for Matteo’s elite, heavily armed Alpha team.
While Maya and Sophia happily decorated elaborate pastries in the grand exhibition hall surrounded by students and flashing cameras, Dante silently detached himself from the crowd. Wearing a long, dark charcoal overcoat that seamlessly concealed his Kevlar body armor and custom sidearm, he strode down the deserted, echoing corridors of the faculty wing. The heavy oak door to Dr. Aris’s private office was slightly ajar. Dante slipped inside with the lethal, noiseless grace of an apex predator, locking the deadbolt behind him with a soft click.
Aris stood with his back turned, meticulously packing away blank canvases. He exuded a fake, intellectual arrogance. "Your daughter’s exhibition was truly remarkable, Mr. Russo," Aris spoke smoothly without turning around, proving he had anticipated Dante’s arrival all along. "Did you enjoy the little shadow I helped her paint?"
"It was a cheap trick," Dante replied, his voice echoing like dirt hitting a coffin. "You have exactly sixty seconds to tell me the Consortium's true objective before I snap your spine in half."
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Aris turned slowly, a sick, twisted, and entirely diseased smile stretching across his gaunt face. "You honestly think we only care about your shipping ports? We have held you by the throat for ten years, ever since your ex-wife staged her death at Montauk. You thought she successfully escaped to Portugal? You are entirely wrong, Dante. Elena was never free. We intercepted the cargo vessel. We have kept her locked away in total isolation all these years to ensure you never dared to cross us."
The devastating truth hit Dante like a physical, crushing blow. Elena was still alive, suffering in agonizing captivity.
