Chapter 5 - Walls of Glass
The Rossi compound was a massive fortress of glass and steel hidden deep in the hills of upstate New York.
Tessa sat in the backseat of Gabriel's armored SUV, watching the heavy iron gates close behind them.
She had left her tiny apartment with nothing but a duffel bag and a terrifying sense of dread.
Gabriel had not spoken a single word during the three-hour drive.
When the car stopped, two armed guards immediately flanked the doors, escorting them inside the sprawling mansion.
"You will stay in the east wing," Gabriel finally said, leading her down a long, eerily quiet hallway.
"There are cameras everywhere, and the perimeter is wired with motion sensors."
"Am I a guest or a prisoner?" Tessa asked, clutching her bag tightly against her chest.
"That depends entirely on what you tell me about the Lupatti coin," Gabriel replied coldly.
He stopped in front of a heavy oak door and unlocked it with a biometric scanner.
"Get some sleep."
"We will talk tomorrow when my father is not actively trying to put a bullet in your head."
Gabriel turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the massive, luxurious bedroom.
Tessa dropped her bag onto the floor, utterly exhausted by the adrenaline crash.
The room was beautiful, filled with expensive silk sheets and modern art, but it felt like a polished cage.
She walked over to the massive wardrobe to hang up her uniform.
When she pulled the heavy wooden doors open, she froze in horror.
The wardrobe was not empty.
It was completely filled with clothes in her exact size, ranging from casual sweaters to evening gowns.
Her hands trembled as she opened the top drawer of the vanity desk next to the bed.
Inside, she found dozens of high-resolution photographs scattered across the wood.
They were pictures of her.
There were photos of her walking to work, photos of her buying groceries, and photos of her standing outside her mother's hospital room.
Some of the pictures were dated over a year ago, long before she ever poured Gabriel's first glass of water.
A cold, terrifying realization washed over her like a tidal wave.
They had not brought her here because of the restaurant incident.
The restaurant incident was just the excuse they needed to finally bring her in.
She heard the electronic click of the bedroom door locking from the outside.
May you like
Tessa spun around just as a hidden speaker in the ceiling crackled to life.
"Did you really think I tipped you two hundred dollars a week just for good service, Tessa?" Gabriel's voice echoed through the room.
