Chapter 1 - The Final Mistake
Margaret Marino closed the heavy oak door of the estate without looking back.
Rain poured down on the Westchester grounds, washing away the remains of a fractured family.
Dominic stood frozen in the grand foyer, his chest tight with a foreign sense of panic.
He had built a billion-dollar syndicate by anticipating every possible threat.
Yet, he had completely failed to anticipate the silence of an empty house.
Vanessa walked to the top of the stairs, her confident smile now completely gone.
"She is just an old woman throwing a tantrum," Vanessa sneered.
Dominic turned his dark eyes toward his mistress, finally seeing her for what she truly was.
"That old woman built the empire you are currently standing in," Dominic said coldly.
He walked up the stairs, completely ignoring Vanessa's outstretched hand.
He entered his bedroom, the room Carrie had fled just an hour ago.
The scent of Carrie’s vanilla perfume still lingered in the air, mocking him.
Vanessa’s cream suitcase was still sitting near the edge of the bed.
Dominic kicked the suitcase over, spilling expensive lingerie and designer cosmetics onto the floor.
"What are you doing?" Vanessa yelled, running into the room.
Dominic ignored her, his eyes locking onto a small, black leather notebook that had fallen from a hidden zipper compartment.
He picked it up, flipping through pages of meticulously handwritten notes.
His blood ran cold as he read the contents.
The notebook detailed every security code, offshore bank account, and illegal shipping route belonging to Marino Holdings.
He flipped to the last page, finding a detailed floor plan of his own estate.
There was a red circle drawn directly over the room where his pregnant wife was supposed to be sleeping tonight.
Vanessa was not a terrified woman needing a place to hide from a stalker.
She was an assassin planted by his worst enemies.
Suddenly, the heavy bedroom door clicked shut and the titanium lock engaged from the inside.
Dominic slowly turned around to face the woman he had foolishly brought into his home.
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Vanessa stood there with a suppressed pistol aimed directly at Dominic’s chest.
"You really should have let your wife sleep in the guest room," Vanessa whispered.
