Chapter 2 - The Eavesdropper in the Hallway
Vincent’s reaction was instantaneous. The sorrow that had gripped his chest vanished, replaced by the lethal, calculating fury that had made him the most feared man in Chicago.
"Dominic," Vincent said, his voice dropping into a chilling register. "Third-floor corridor. Take him alive."
"On it," Dominic growled, pulling his sidearm from his shoulder holster as he bolted out of the surveillance room toward the private elevator.
On monitor seven, the shadowed figure outside Matteo’s door suddenly stiffened, as if sensing the shifting air inside the mansion. He stepped back into the unlit recess of the service stairwell just as the heavy elevator doors on the third floor hissed open.
In the bedroom, Clara sat beside Matteo, holding the silk-wrapped memory card tightly in her palm. She could feel the faint, jagged crack along the plastic casing. She looked at Matteo, seeing the raw trust in the boy's dark eyes—a trust he hadn't given to a living soul in over a year.
"Keep it safe, Clara," Matteo whispered, his voice trembling. "Mom said never to show anyone in a black suit."
Clara’s heart hammered against her ribs. She slipped the memory card into the inner lining of her sage-green blouse, zipping the hidden pocket shut just as the heavy bedroom door opened.
Vincent Rossi stepped into the room.
His towering presence immediately filled the space. His dark brown three-piece suit was immaculate, his gray-blue eyes piercing as they swept over the room, taking in every detail before coming to rest on his son.
Matteo instinctively pulled back into his wheelchair, his face growing distant once more.
Vincent noticed the sudden withdrawal, a sharp pang of guilt striking his chest. He turned his intense gaze onto Clara, who stood up calmly, smoothing her green trousers. She met his gaze without flinching, standing between the powerful mafia boss and the child.
"Mr. Rossi," Clara said quietly, her voice steady.
"Miss Hayes," Vincent replied, his baritone voice smooth yet heavy with unspoken authority. "My security chief is currently clearing the hallway."
Clara didn't pretend to be ignorant. "I know. Someone was listening at the door."
Vincent took a slow step forward, his polished shoes making no sound against the rug. He looked down at her, studying the sharp intelligence behind her dark-brown eyes. "My son hasn't spoken more than three words at a time in fourteen months. What did he say to you?"
Clara looked at Matteo, who was watching her with held breath. She turned back to Vincent, her expression unyielding. "He told me he wants to try working on his physical therapy again tomorrow. Anything else discussed between a caretaker and her patient remains confidential, Mr. Rossi."
Vincent’s dark eyebrows raised slightly. Few people in Chicago dared to speak to him with such blunt defiance inside his own home. Yet beneath his intimidating exterior, Vincent respected strength.
The door opened again, and Dominic walked in, his face tight with frustration. He lowered his weapon into his holster. "He used the private maintenance chute, Boss. Slipped out through the east garden gates before the perimeter locks engaged. But he left a digital master key behind."
Dominic held up a sleek, black keycard bearing an executive clearance stamp.
Vincent stared at the keycard. The color drained slightly from his stubbled jaw. That specific clearance card belonged only to the highest ranking members of the Rossi family inner council.
"He wasn't an outsider," Vincent said softly, his voice dropping into a dangerous pitch. "The enemy is sitting at my dinner table."
Vincent turned back to Clara, stepping closer until he was standing just inches from her. "You are holding something that belonged to my late wife, Clara."
Clara held his gaze, her posture remaining perfectly erect. "If I am holding something, Mr. Rossi, it was given to me for safekeeping by a boy who trusts me. Until I know who in this house is trying to hurt him, it stays with me."
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Vincent looked at her for a long, silent moment, assessing the fierce, protective determination in her eyes. Instead of ordering Dominic to search her, Vincent made a decision that shocked his security chief.
"Dominic," Vincent commanded softly. "Re-assign two full tactical units to Clara Hayes. From this second on, wherever she goes, my men guard her life. If anything happens to her or my son... everyone dies."
