Chapter 3 - The North Wing
I casually flipped the sketchbook closed before Mrs. Hargrove could take another step into the nursery.
"We are just drawing pictures of farm animals, ma'am," I lied smoothly, forcing my heart to stop hammering against my ribs.
Mrs. Hargrove's cold gaze lingered on the sketchbook for a terrifying moment before she sneered in disgust.
"Mr. Vale wants you to take the boy to the garden, and he specifically requested you use the service corridors to avoid being seen by his business associates."
I nodded obediently, grabbing Noah's small hand and leading him out of the room as fast as I reasonably could.
I knew I had to tell Dominic about the hidden camera and the drawing, but approaching a mafia boss required extreme caution.
As we walked down the dimly lit service hallway, Noah suddenly yanked his hand away from mine and sprinted toward a heavy mahogany door.
It was the entrance to the North Wing, the absolute only place in the mansion I was explicitly forbidden to enter.
"Noah, stop!" I whispered frantically, chasing his small, swift footsteps into the dark, abandoned corridor.
The air in the North Wing smelled like expensive perfume and stale dust, frozen entirely in time from the day his mother died.
Noah ignored my pleas and pushed open a door at the very end of the hall, disappearing into a massive, elegant library.
I rushed inside and found him frantically digging through the bottom drawer of an antique writing desk.
He pulled out a thick leather journal and shoved it aggressively into my hands, his large dark eyes begging me to understand.
I opened the journal to a random page and saw the elegant handwriting of Elena Vale, Dominic's deceased wife.
The page detailed a massive financial conspiracy, listing millions of dollars being funneled out of the syndicate by a secret traitor.
Elena had discovered that the traitor was planning to assassinate her husband to take over the entire Chicago criminal empire.
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I heard the distinct, terrifying click of a loaded gun being cocked directly behind my head.
"You were explicitly warned about entering this wing, Clara," Silas whispered darkly, pressing the cold steel barrel against my spine.
