Chapter 5 - The invisible enemy
The lockdown protocols of the Castellano estate were absolute. Steel shutters descended over the windows, and fifty armed men secured the perimeter. Inside the private medical wing, Vincent lay on a pristine bed, his breathing finally steadying as Dr. Lena’s counter-toxin worked through his system.
Marcus stood outside the medical doors, his hands clenched into fists. He watched as Adeline’s mother, Claire, rushed down the hall. She wore a simple maid’s uniform, her fair skin pale with sheer terror. She scooped Adeline into her arms, burying her face in her daughter's light-brown hair.
Marcus approached them slowly, his voice low and tight. He knew he had to handle the child carefully. "Adeline. The man you saw in the hallway. Did he wear a dark suit like mine?"
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Adeline rested her chin on her mother’s shoulder, hugging her alligator. She shook her head slowly. "He had shiny shoes. And a tick-tock in his pocket."
A pocket watch. Marcus’s blood ran cold. In the entire Castellano organization, there was only one man arrogant enough to carry an antique ticking pocket watch instead of a modern luxury wristwatch. It was Julian, Vincent’s own younger brother and the financial head of the syndicate.
