Chapter 1 - The Lockdown
Dr. Lena Morales dropped to her knees beside the heavy leather chair.
She pressed a thick stack of medical gauze directly against Vincent’s ruined shirt.
The mafia boss let out a low groan that made the crystal glasses on his desk rattle.
Marcus Ellery scooped Adeline off the Persian rug with one massive arm.
He handed the toddler to a security guard standing in the hallway.
Marcus barked an order to lock down every gate and door on the estate.
Nobody was allowed in or out of the compound without his direct permission.
Camille Boudreaux came sprinting down the marble corridor a moment later.
She wore her gray maid uniform and had terror written all over her face.
Camille snatched her daughter from the guard and buried her face in Adeline's dark hair.
Marcus watched the mother and daughter with cold, calculating eyes.
He walked over to the security monitor hidden behind a wall painting.
The camera feed from the hallway showed the last ten minutes of activity.
Marcus rewound the digital footage to exactly three minutes before Adeline entered the office.
The screen showed a figure slipping out of Vincent's office and rushing down the back stairs.
Marcus froze the frame and zoomed in on the culprit's face.
He slowly turned around and pulled his service weapon from its holster.
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He aimed the black barrel directly at Camille's chest.
The security footage clearly showed Camille holding a smoking silver pistol.
