Chapter 34
Dusk fell across the Tuscan valley, casting long, ominous shadows through the cypress trees lining the estate. Dante moved through the villa with quiet precision, checking every reinforced window lock and activating the perimeter sensors. To Sophia, it seemed like an ordinary evening. Maya sat with the little girl beside the fireplace, reading a storybook while the aroma of warm bread filled the living room.
"Maya?" Sophia whispered softly, tugging Maya’s woolen sweater. "When I was picking flowers earlier, a lady was watching me from the olive grove. She looked really sad, and she had dark hair like mine. She was crying before she ran away."
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Maya froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. She caught Dante’s gaze across the room, the terrifying realization chilling the warm room. Dante gave a subtle nod, his face settling into a mask of pure granite. "Stay inside with Sophia and lock the deadbolts," he murmured calmly, pressing a tender kiss to Maya’s forehead before stepping out into the dark.
Dante slipped into the night through the cellar exit, melting seamlessly into the shadows of the vineyard. Moving like a seasoned phantom, he reached the ancient olive tree Sophia described. Beneath its twisted branches, the damp grass was freshly trampled. Kneeling in the soil, his fingers brushed against a cracked burner phone. Beside it lay a spent bullet casing. Elena was not just watching; she had already drawn blood on this hill.
