Chapter 8 - The Breach at Dawn
At five o'clock the following morning, a dense fog rolled over the pine forests surrounding the estate.
Emma was awakened by the low, pulsing sound of internal security alarms. The lights in her suite flickered to red as heavy steel shutters automatically slid down over the large bay windows.
Panic surged through her chest. She leaped out of bed and rushed to Lily’s crib, gathering her baby into her arms just as her bedroom door burst open.
Luca stepped into the room, wearing his black trousers and a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing the dark ink along his forearms. He held a silver-plated sidearm in his right hand.
"Stay behind me, Emma," Luca ordered, his voice steady as iron.
"What's happening?" Emma cried, clutching Lily tight.
"A strike team from the remaining Valenti loyalists is trying to breach the eastern perimeter," Luca explained calmly, walking over to stand directly between her and the balcony door. "They realized Brittany was captured, so they're making a desperate play to eliminate you and secure the lineage trust."
Gunshots echoed faintly from the lower gardens, followed by the deep, authoritative commands of Marco leading the house security force.
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Through the reinforced glass of the inner door, a masked intruder kicked through the hallway frame, raising an automatic weapon.
Before the attacker could pull the trigger, Luca fired two precise shots through the door, dropping the intruder instantly. He stepped back, wrapping his left arm securely around Emma and Lily, shielding them completely with his broad body as glass rained down around them.
