Chapter 4 - The Cellar Shadows
Adrian’s heart hammered against his ribs as Enzo’s warning echoed in his ear.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket, maintaining his fragile facade as he sat back up.
He clutched his stomach, letting out a convincing groan of sheer agony.
Adrian loudly declared that his medication was making him severely nauseous and that he needed to use the restroom immediately.
Dominic rolled his eyes in absolute disgust, waving his hand dismissively to let his broken brother leave the table.
The moment Adrian stepped into the empty hallway, his trembling completely stopped.
He moved with terrifying speed, drawing a hidden combat knife from his ankle holster.
He bypassed the main staircases, dropping down the old laundry chute that deposited him directly into the estate's basement.
The damp air of the massive wine cellar wrapped around him as he crept through the endless rows of vintage bottles.
He could hear the heavy boots of Dominic's soldiers echoing from the far end of the underground maze.
Adrian slipped through the shadows, moving like a ghost until he spotted Enzo bleeding from a shallow graze on his arm.
Clara was huddled behind a massive oak barrel, pressing her hands over Lily's mouth to keep the child completely silent.
Adrian signaled them to stay completely still while he flanked the three heavily armed men searching the aisles.
Clara desperately grabbed his sleeve, whispering that she had stolen something from Dominic's office while cleaning yesterday.
She pulled a crumpled ledger from her apron, proving Dominic was secretly selling the entire Moretti family to the ruthless Russo cartel.
Before Adrian could inspect the stolen evidence, the sound of a pistol cocking echoed directly behind him.
He spun around to see Dr. Silva, his trusted personal physician, aiming a suppressed weapon at Clara's head.
The doctor’s eyes were cold and devoid of any medical oath he had once sworn to uphold.
Dr. Silva smiled wickedly, admitting that Dominic had paid him millions to orchestrate the fake diagnosis.
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The doctor calmly reached into his tailored coat and pulled out a small, remote detonator.
He pressed the red button, and the heavy steel doors of the cellar instantly slammed shut, locking them all inside.
