My husband slapped me across the face in front

I stumbled backward from the ventilation grate in sheer horror, realizing the local police department was already on Daniel's payroll.

My enormous wealth had been quietly weaponized against me, used to buy the loyalty of the people sworn to protect me.

I forced my heavy, poisoned legs to keep moving, following the hidden passage until it sloped downward into the underground wine cellar.

I pushed open the concealed stone door and tumbled onto the cold floor, struggling to keep my eyes open as the drug intensified.

I dragged myself toward the small emergency exit door at the back of the cellar and stumbled out into the freezing, torrential rain.

The sprawling gardens of my estate were pitch black, offering perfect cover as I crawled through the wet mud toward the perimeter wall.

I could see the flashing red and blue lights of the police cruisers parked near the main gate.

I desperately dragged myself toward a dark, unmarked black SUV idling quietly near the edge of the property line.

The rear door of the vehicle swung open, and Marcus reached out to pull my soaking wet, shivering body inside.

I collapsed onto the leather seat, thanking God that my loyal attorney had arrived in time to save my life.

For eight years, Dante Moretti—the most powerful Mafia boss in Chicago

The wooden train hit Cameron Jenkins in the shoulder before

The three knocks came one minute before midnight

I looked down at the center console as Marcus's phone lit up with a new text message notification.

The message was from a contact named Victoria Vance, and it simply read, "Did you secure the target for us?"

Chapter 4 - The Desperate Run