Chapter 38
Dante ushered Maya, Sophia, and Elena into the reinforced vault behind the heavy wine racks. The steel door was disguised as ancient stone, engineered to withstand heavy explosives. Sophia looked up with wide, terrified eyes in the amber emergency light, clutching Maya’s sweater. "Daddy? Are the bad men here?" she asked in a small, trembling voice. Dante knelt down, cupping his daughter’s face with infinite tenderness. "Daddy is going to handle it, sweetheart. Stay close to Maya."
Maya locked eyes with him, gripping his wrist with fierce emotion. "Come back to us," she whispered. Dante kissed her with breathtaking devotion, then sealed the reinforced deadbolts, locking them securely within the vault.
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Ascending into the darkened villa, Dante became the lethal phantom that once ruled New York’s underworld. The violent crash of shattering glass echoed as four mercenaries in tactical body armor breached the glass conservatory doors. Dante didn't hesitate. Stepping out from behind a marble pillar, he opened fire with his silenced weapon in crisp, devastating bursts. Two assassins collapsed to the hardwood floor before they could raise their rifles.
The surviving gunmen scrambled for cover, returning heavy automatic fire that tore through the furniture. Through the din of ricocheting bullets, his tactical headset crackled as their squad leader barked in Russian: "He’s guarding the basement! The high-value targets are underground! Breach the cellar now!"
