Chapter 3 - The Inside Man
Lorenzo’s jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth ground together, but he did not allow a single flicker of emotion to break his calm facade.
The revelation that his younger brother, Marco, had actively authorized the alteration of the mansion’s security logs was a deeply jagged pill to swallow.
Marco had always been the impulsive, reckless liability of the Duca family, but Lorenzo had never suspected him of outright treason.
Vivien delicately wiped her mouth with a linen napkin, oblivious to the fact that her carefully constructed web of lies was beginning to unravel.
She casually mentioned that Marco had promised to take her out to the family's private country club the following afternoon.
Lorenzo smiled thinly, telling her that he thought a relaxing afternoon in the country was a wonderful idea for the two of them.
As soon as dinner concluded and Vivien retired to her luxurious suite, Lorenzo immediately summoned Rocco back into the soundproof study.
He demanded to know exactly what footage had been deleted from the security servers on the specific date Marco had used his override code.
Rocco handed Lorenzo a thick manila folder, explaining that his tech team had managed to recover a highly corrupted, fragmented piece of the deleted file.
The grainy, black-and-white still image showed Vivien handing a thick, unmarked envelope to a man whose face was entirely obscured by the shadows of the service gate.
But Lorenzo recognized the distinct, heavy silver watch on the man's wrist instantly; it was a custom piece he had personally gifted to Marco five years ago.
The realization that his fiancée was secretly paying off his own brother hit Lorenzo like a physical blow to the chest.
He needed to know exactly what Vivien was buying from Marco, and why it required Elena and Mia to be violently intimidated into silence.
The next morning, Lorenzo intentionally left the estate early, loudly claiming he had urgent union business at the docks.
Instead, he parked his black, armored SUV two blocks away and waited patiently for Vivien and Marco to leave for the country club.
As soon as their sleek sports car disappeared down the long driveway, Lorenzo slipped back into the mansion through a hidden service entrance.
He moved silently through the quiet halls, heading directly for the small, unadorned quarters assigned to the live-in staff.
He found Elena meticulously folding laundry, her hands trembling slightly as she worked.
Lorenzo gently closed the door behind him, immediately assuring the terrified maid that she and Mia were completely safe under his direct protection.
Elena burst into quiet, desperate tears, finally confessing that Vivien hadn't just been threatening her over the fake wedding approval.
She revealed that three months ago, she had accidentally walked into Vivien's bedroom and witnessed her copying highly sensitive financial documents from Lorenzo's private safe.
Elena sobbed, explaining that Marco had caught her watching and had immediately helped Vivien cover up the massive security breach.
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Just as Elena finished her horrifying confession, the heavy wooden door of the laundry room suddenly clicked entirely shut.
Lorenzo spun around instantly, drawing his concealed weapon, only to find himself staring directly into the cold, dead eyes of his own brother, Marco.
