Chapter 10 - The False Victory
The shockwave knocked Elena flat onto her back against the stone porch.
Debris rained down on the manicured lawns as the burning shell of the van illuminated the night sky.
Elena crawled frantically toward Sophia, shielding her daughter's body with her own.
"Adrian is dead," Lorenzo announced loudly, walking calmly out of the mansion with his gun drawn.
"And now, I am the head of this family."
Lorenzo aimed his weapon directly at Dante's chest.
"Put your gun on the ground, Dante, or you die next."
Dante did not drop his weapon.
Instead, Dante smiled perfectly.
"You really should check who is inside a vehicle before you blow it up, Lorenzo."
The front door of the mansion opened wide behind them.
Adrian Moretti walked out onto the porch, looking entirely unharmed and furious.
"You always were too impatient, little brother," Adrian said coldly.
Lorenzo dropped his gun in absolute shock as Dante's loyal guards rushed forward and tackled him to the ground.
The trap had worked perfectly.
Dante had suspected the transport leak and placed dummies in the decoy van to catch the traitor.
The nightmare was finally over.
Lorenzo was dragged away screaming in handcuffs, destined for a very dark hole.
An hour later, the courtyard was finally quiet and cleared of the burning wreckage.
Adrian sat in his study, petting Titan while Sophia colored happily on his expensive mahogany desk.
"You saved my life today, Elena," Adrian said, pouring a glass of expensive bourbon.
"I am offering you a permanent, highly paid position here, and my men will protect you and your daughter forever."
Elena felt tears of genuine relief slide down her cheeks.
She was finally safe, and she would never have to worry about money again.
"Thank you, Mister Moretti," she whispered softly.
Dante walked into the study, holding a brand new encrypted phone for Elena to use.
"Welcome to the family," Dante said warmly, handing her the device.
As he extended his arm, his dark suit sleeve pulled back slightly to reveal his wrist.
Elena reached for the phone, but her hand froze in mid-air.
There was a very distinct, jagged scar shaped like a crescent moon carved into Dante's skin.
It was the exact same scar she had seen on the wrist of the masked man who murdered her husband five years ago.
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Dante's warm smile slowly faded into a cold, dead stare as he realized what she was looking at.
"I told you not to look too closely, Elena," Dante whispered.
