Chapter 9 - midnight pulse
At two in the morning, the mansion was shrouded in quiet dark shadows. The only light in Matteo's room came from the soft blue glow of the vital sign monitors.
Dante sat in the darkness of the high-backed armchair, perfectly concealed within the shadows near the corner drape. His hand rested lightly on his weapon.
The quiet click of the brass door handle cut through the stillness.
A figure slipped through the cracked door, stepping softly across the polished hardwood floor. Dressed in dark clothing with a heavy jacket, the intruder moved directly toward the medical cart beside Matteo's bed.
The figure reached into an inner pocket, pulling out a small glass vial and a syringe, preparing to inject a fresh dose into the IV line.
"You're late for your shift," a low, terrifying voice boomed from the corner.
The intruder froze instantly. Before they could turn, Dante stepped out of the darkness like a shadow made flesh. In a single swift, powerful motion, Dante grabbed the intruder’s wrist, twisting it until the syringe clattered harmlessly onto the carpet. He slammed the figure face-down onto the edge of the heavy oak desk, pinning them effortlessly with one arm.
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Dante reached down, ripped off the intruder's dark face mask, and stared into the face of his family's chief administrator—a man who had served the Moretti family for fifteen years.
"Vincent," Dante growled, his voice vibrating with lethal calm. "You were the one on the phone."
