Chapter 3 - The Empty Grave
The heavy doors slammed shut as Silvio dragged Clarissa out into the pouring rain.
Dad immediately ordered half of his security team to hunt Silvio down and rescue my sister-in-law.
Emilio was completely frantic, pacing the room and cursing violently.
"We have to go after them right now," Emilio shouted, pulling a gun from his own waistband.
Dad raised his hand to stop him, his face a mask of cold, calculating fury.
"Silvio is a dead man walking, but we need to know what he meant about the coffin," Dad ordered.
I felt a sickening knot twist deeply in my stomach as we walked out into the stormy night.
We marched directly across the wet grass to the fresh grave site.
Dad commanded his remaining men to grab shovels from the groundkeeper's shed.
The heavy rain soaked our expensive suits as the men furiously dug through the thick mud.
It took nearly an hour to hit the solid wood of the expensive mahogany casket.
The guards attached heavy chains to the handles and used a utility truck to hoist it out of the ground.
Dad used a steel crowbar to pry the locked lid open with brutal force.
The hinges screamed in protest before finally snapping in half.
I held my breath, fully expecting to see a stranger's body resting inside.
Instead, the silk-lined interior of the coffin was completely and utterly empty.
There was absolutely no body, no weights, and no clothes.
There was only a single, blood-stained manila envelope resting in the center of the white silk.
I reached down with trembling hands and carefully opened the wet envelope.
Inside was a certified document transferring complete ownership of our family empire to the Moretti crime syndicate.
"The Morettis have been our sworn enemies for three generations," Dad whispered in total disbelief.
The document was signed clearly in fresh black ink by my mother.
May you like
Suddenly, the bright headlights of a dozen black SUVs illuminated the dark graveyard.
Heavily armed men wearing the Moretti family crest stepped out of the vehicles and completely surrounded us.
