Chapter 6 - The Wiretap and the Whisper
Adrian stepped into the library, his eyes tracking the fresh footprints leading toward the open balcony doors at the back of the room.
"Clear," Marco whispered, stepping through the doorway to cover the perimeter.
Adrian walked up to the mahogany desk. Resting beside the steaming coffee mug was a high-frequency radio receiver, its digital display glowing with a steady blue frequency band.
From the small desktop speaker, a faint, familiar audio stream was playing in real time.
Adrian leaned down, his brow furrowing as he listened to the audio coming through the receiver.
It was the sound of soft breathing, followed by the quiet ticking of a grandfather clock.
Adrian’s blood ran cold. He recognized that distinct clock chime instantly. It was the antique floor clock sitting in the hallway of his own estate, forty miles away.
"The wiretap isn't just in the house, Marco," Adrian whispered, his voice dangerously low. "It's live right now."
Before Marco could answer, the radio receiver clicked sharply, and a man’s voice spoke through the speaker—low, gravelly, and laced with urgent desperation.
"Adrian... if you're standing at my desk, listen to me carefully," the voice said.
It was Julian.
Adrian reached out, his hand grasping the edge of the desk, his knuckles turning white against his black onyx ring. "Julian?"
"Don't speak into the line," Julian’s voice warned over the static. "Falcone’s tech crew is intercepting this frequency. They knew Emma arrived at your house thirty minutes after she crossed the gate. They have a mole inside your private security detail."
Marco’s head snapped toward the door, his hand instinctively tightening around his weapon.
"The mole isn't Marco," Julian continued quickly, as if anticipating their thoughts. "It’s one of the perimeter guards on your night shift—a man named Miller. Falcone paid him six months ago to plant a micro-transmitter inside Teresa's housekeeping cart."
Adrian turned his head toward Marco. "Get Teresa on the encrypted line right now."
Marco pulled his satellite phone from his pocket, dialing the estate's private emergency number. He held the phone to his ear for three tense seconds before looking up at Adrian, his face pale.
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"Line is dead, Boss," Marco said. "The estate's main power array just took a hard drop."
Julian’s voice came through the desk speaker one last time, filled with fierce conviction: "They’re going after Emma right now to force you to surrender the family ring. Get back to the estate, Adrian! I’m already on my way!"
