Chapter 8 - The Viper's Den
Sophie was taken to a lavish, terrifying penthouse overlooking the dark waters of the Chicago river.
She was given a beautiful bedroom, but the heavy electronic lock was strictly on the outside of the door.
For three long days, she played the perfect, obedient nanny to the Volkov heir.
She secretly memorized the guard rotations, the security camera blind spots, and the code to the private elevator.
Volkov watched her constantly from the shadows, treating her like a prized, expensive possession.
"You are much smarter than my late wife," Volkov said one evening as she quietly fed the baby.
Sophie forced a polite smile, hiding the absolute, burning hatred in her chest.
She knew Dominic was still alive because Volkov needed him for public leverage against the remaining Italian families.
That night, she successfully stole a small kitchen knife and short-circuited the electronic lock on her bedroom door.
She crept down the dark hallway on her bare feet, carefully avoiding the sleeping, armed guards.
She found Volkov's private study and successfully hacked into his personal computer using a password she had cleverly guessed.
She quickly downloaded the security layout and the access codes onto a small, stolen flash drive.
Just as she pulled the drive out, the study lights aggressively flicked on.
Volkov stood in the doorway, wearing a dark silk robe and holding a silenced pistol.
"Did you really think a simple waitress could outsmart the head of the Russian mob?" he laughed coldly.
He pointed the gun directly at her chest and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The gun clicked completely empty.
A deep, familiar voice echoed from the shadows directly behind Volkov.
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"She didn't have to outsmart you, she just had to open the door for me."
Dominic stepped out of the darkness, a bloody combat knife gleaming dangerously in his hand.
