Chapter 7 - the architect of lies
The plan was terrifyingly simple, relying entirely on the element of surprise and the absolute loyalty between Matteo and Elara. They knew Camilla would strike soon. With Mrs. Gable captured, Camilla’s inside eyes were blind, which meant she would have to act before Matteo could reset the penthouse security codes.
At 11:00 PM, the penthouse went entirely dark.
Matteo had initiated a hard system reboot, shutting down the main power grid and running the estate on backup generators. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered the only light, the glittering Manhattan skyline casting long, cinematic shadows across the polished marble floors.
Elara sat on the floor of the nursery, holding Leah tight against her chest. She had changed out of her restrictive uniform, wearing dark jeans and a black sweater. Leah was wide awake, sensing the tension, her tiny fingers gripping the fabric of Elara’s sweater.
"Are we playing hide and seek?" Leah whispered in the dark.
"Yes, sweetheart," Elara whispered back, kissing the top of the girl's curly light-brown hair. "We have to be very, very quiet."
Down the hall, Matteo waited in the shadows near the service wing. He held a suppressed handgun at his side, his breathing slow and controlled. He was a predator waiting in the dark.
The silence stretched for thirty agonizing minutes. And then, a soft, mechanical click echoed from the service elevator.
The doors slid open.
Camilla stepped out. She was no longer wearing a veil. She was dressed in sleek, tactical black gear, looking stunningly beautiful and entirely ruthless. She held a suppressed weapon in her hand, moving with the confidence of a woman who believed she owned the world.
She bypassed the main living room entirely, heading straight for the nursery. She needed the key. She needed Leah.
Matteo let her pass his position, stepping silently out of the shadows to cut off her escape route to the elevator.
Camilla reached the nursery door. She pushed it open, her weapon raised.
The room was empty. The bed was unmade, but there was no sign of Elara or the child.
Camilla frowned, stepping further into the room. "Leah, darling," she called out, her voice a sickly sweet melody. "Mommy is here. Come out and play."
Nothing but silence answered her.
Suddenly, a loud, metallic clank echoed from the far end of the penthouse. It came from the service wing.
Camilla’s head snapped toward the sound. She turned on her heel and sprinted out of the nursery, heading straight for the blue room. If Matteo was trying to move the servers, she had to stop him.
She reached the heavy steel door. It was slightly ajar.
Camilla kicked the door open and stepped inside, sweeping the room with her weapon. The interior of the vault was a pristine, terrifyingly exact replica of a child's nursery, painted entirely in soft blue. It was psychologically designed to make a child feel safe while the biometric scanners read their retinas.
But the room was completely empty.
Before Camilla could turn around, the heavy steel door slammed shut behind her with a deafening crash. The massive deadbolts engaged instantly, sealing the vault.
Camilla rushed to the door, pounding her fist against the impenetrable steel. "Matteo!" she screamed, her elegant facade shattering into raw panic. "Open this door!"
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On the outside of the vault, Matteo stood near the control panel, his hand resting on the manual override switch. Elara stepped out of the nearby alcove, carrying Leah safely in her arms.
"It's over, Camilla," Matteo’s voice came through the intercom system, cold and absolute. "The vault is sealed. And the air circulation system has just been turned off."
