Chapter 8 - The Secret Passages
A scream of pure, visceral terror tore from Rosa's throat, echoing down the empty marble hallways.
She ran out of the master suite, wildly opening every door on the second floor in a desperate search for her daughter.
Alessandro abandoned the standoff at the front gates, leaving Dante in command as he sprinted into the house.
He found Rosa collapsing onto the floor, hyperventilating and clutching the stuffed rabbit to her chest.
When she choked out the words that Lily was missing, a dark, murderous shadow fell over Alessandro's face.
He pulled his sidearm and ordered a full sweep of the interior, threatening to execute any guard who failed to find her.
He cornered a Romano bodyguard in the east wing, slamming the man against the wall and pressing the gun to his temple.
The terrified guard swore he had not seen the child, sobbing that nobody had breached the second floor.
Rosa wept, her mind conjuring horrific images of Isabella's men snatching Lily while the distraction at the gates occurred.
Alessandro noticed something strange near the base of a large classical painting at the end of the hallway.
A thin line of cold air was blowing from behind the heavy wooden frame, disturbing the dust on the floor.
He reached behind the canvas, feeling for a hidden latch known only to the original builders of the estate.
With a heavy mechanical click, the entire wall section swung open, revealing a dark, narrow stone staircase leading underground.
Alessandro grabbed a flashlight and led Rosa down the steep, treacherous steps into the forgotten servant tunnels.
The air smelled of damp earth and old masonry as they navigated the labyrinth beneath the mansion.
They turned a corner and saw a flickering lantern light illuminating a small storage cellar.
Rosa gasped and pushed past Alessandro, running toward the small figure huddled in the corner.
Lily was perfectly safe, wrapped in a thick wool blanket and completely oblivious to the danger.
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But sitting slumped against the stone wall next to her was Mr. Bruno, the elderly butler.
He was pressing a bloody towel against a deep knife wound in his abdomen.
