Chapter 4 - The Locked Room
Clara slowly backed away from the armed guard, keeping Bruno behind her.
"Matteo will kill you for this," Clara warned, trying to keep her voice steady.
The guard chuckled and raised the suppressed pistol.
"Matteo will simply find your body and assume you committed suicide," the man replied.
He took a step forward, his finger resting heavily on the trigger.
He had severely underestimated the bond Clara had formed with the massive dog.
Bruno did not wait for a command.
The Cane Corso lunged forward with terrifying speed and incredible power.
He slammed into the guard's chest, knocking the heavy pistol from his hand.
The man screamed as Bruno pinned him to the floor, baring his razor-sharp teeth.
Clara grabbed the fallen gun, her hands shaking violently.
"Call him off!" the guard begged, his face pale with terror.
Before Clara could speak, the kitchen door was violently kicked off its hinges.
Matteo stood in the doorway, wearing a tailored suit and holding an automatic weapon.
He assessed the situation in a fraction of a second.
"Bruno, down," Matteo commanded firmly.
The dog immediately released the bleeding guard and trotted back to Clara's side.
Matteo walked over to the corrupt guard and grabbed him by the collar.
"Who ordered you to lock my dog's caretaker in this room?" Matteo demanded softly.
The guard choked and spat blood onto the pristine kitchen tile.
"Bianca paid me," the guard confessed, sobbing hysterically.
Matteo's expression did not change, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
He looked at Clara, noting her pale face and the trembling gun in her hands.
He gently took the weapon from her fingers and handed it to a trusted man behind him.
"Pack your things, Bianca is no longer welcome in this city," Matteo said coldly.
He escorted Clara out of the kitchen, his hand resting protectively on the small of her back.
They walked into the grand foyer, expecting to see Bianca fleeing the estate.
Instead, they found Bianca sitting calmly on the velvet sofa, sipping a cup of expensive tea.
She smiled sweetly as Matteo approached her with lethal intent.
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"Before you shoot me, Matteo, you might want to look at the new security footage," Bianca said, turning a laptop toward him.
The screen showed a live feed of Clara's younger sister tied to a chair in a dark, concrete room.
