Chapter 3 - The Crimson Stain
The deafening sound of the gunshot echoed violently through the massive estate.
Dominic reacted with terrifying speed, tackling Mara forcefully to the plush carpet.
He shielded her body entirely with his own, his heavy weight pressing the breath from her lungs.
"Stay exactly where you are," Dominic ordered, pulling a sleek black pistol from his shoulder holster.
He moved silently toward the heavy oak doors, blending into the shadows like a ghost.
Mara trembled on the floor, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.
The golden retriever puppy whimpered from under the leather sofa, entirely terrified by the noise.
Mara slowly crawled toward the dog, pulling his warm, furry body into her arms for comfort.
Dominic carefully opened the office door, sweeping the hallway with the barrel of his gun.
He stepped out into the corridor, leaving Mara alone in the deafening silence of the office.
Minutes felt like hours as she waited in the dark, praying for his safe return.
Finally, the door clicked open, and Dominic stepped back inside the room.
His crisp white dress shirt was completely stained with dark, crimson blood.
Mara gasped, dropping the puppy and rushing forward to check him for injuries.
"It is not my blood, Mara," Dominic stated coldly, holstering his weapon.
"Who was it?" she asked, her voice cracking with sheer terror.
"Leo Vance was just executed in my driveway," Dominic revealed.
Mara felt the room spin violently around her as the reality of the murder set in.
Leo was the only man who knew the absolute truth about Evelyn's massive embezzlement scheme.
Evelyn had clearly orchestrated the assassination to permanently silence her blackmailer.
"Evelyn did this," Mara blurted out, unable to keep the dangerous secret any longer.
Dominic looked at her, his dark eyes narrowing with intense, calculating suspicion.
"Evelyn has been with my family for twenty years," Dominic challenged quietly.
Mara stood her ground, refusing to let the corrupt manager get away with murder.
"She is stealing from you, Dominic, and Leo was threatening to expose her," Mara insisted.
Dominic walked over to his desk and pulled out a heavy, locked steel drawer.
He tossed a thick stack of printed banking documents directly onto the mahogany surface.
"I know she is stealing from me, Mara," he confessed darkly.
Mara stared at him in absolute shock, completely unable to comprehend his logic.
"Then why did you let her murder a man on your property?" Mara demanded.
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Dominic leaned across the desk, a sinister, terrifying smile spreading across his face.
"Because Evelyn does not work for me anymore, she works for the Russian syndicate."
