Chapter 3 - the poison in the vintage glass
The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Adrian stood up slowly from his armchair, his towering broad frame filling the space with an overwhelming, dark authority. He adjusted the cuffs of his dark tailored suit, walking with slow, deliberate strides toward the maid.
He reached out, taking the sealed plastic bag containing the burner phone from the guard's hand.
"Explain this, Elena," Adrian commanded, his deep voice terrifyingly calm.
Elena stared at the phone in utter disbelief, shaking her head frantically. "That isn't mine! I've never seen that phone before in my life! Someone planted it in my room!"
Dante stepped up to Adrian’s side, his expression tight and aggressive. "Mr. Moretti, she was hired three months ago without a full syndicate background check. Her employment records were cleared by a secondary agency in Milwaukee. She’s a plant from the Russo family!"
Sophia stepped in front of her mother, her little pink bows shaking as she held out her small hands toward the towering Mafia Don.
"Don't yell at my mommy!" Sophia said bravely, her clear brown eyes looking directly into Adrian's fierce gaze. "Mommy cries every night because she works so hard to buy my medicine! She didn't hurt you!"
Adrian looked down at the five-year-old child. For a fraction of a second, the cold, unshakeable mask on his bearded face flickered with a strange, unfamiliar warmth.
He crouched down until he was at eye level with Sophia. "What medicine does your mother buy you, little one?"
"The blue pills for my heart," Sophia whispered, holding her teddy bear tightly. "The doctor said my heart has a little hole in it."
Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly. He stood up, turning his gaze toward the small silver tray resting on his side table—the tray containing his empty espresso cup and a crystal glass of aged scotch.
"Dante," Adrian said softly. "Who poured my scotch before Elena brought the espresso?"
Dante paused, his jaw clenching for a brief second before regaining his composure. "It was poured by Marco, boss. From the private cellar decanter."
"Bring Marco here," Adrian ordered flatly.
May you like
Titan suddenly stood up, walking past Elena and Sophia, stopping directly in front of Dante Russo. The massive guard dog lowered his front shoulders, a deep, guttural growl echoing from his chest as his dark eyes locked onto Dante's face with raw, unbridled hatred.
Adrian stared at his dog, his razor-sharp mind piecing together the subtle, dangerous truth. Titan wasn't barking at the maid. Titan was growling at his head of security.
