Chapter 3 - The Ghost of Marseilles
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable, deafening impact of the shotgun.
Instead, a sharp, metallic thud echoed in the dark alleyway, followed by a heavy groan.
I opened my eyes to see the massive gunman collapsing forward onto the wet pavement, completely unconscious.
Standing behind him was a tall, elegant woman in a trench coat, holding a heavy steel pipe.
She stepped into the dim light of the alley, her sharp features illuminated by the flickering streetlamp.
"You really need to improve your perimeter security, Bellamy," the woman said with a thick, undeniable French accent.
Bellamy did not look surprised; he actually let out a short, relieved breath.
"Your timing is impeccable as always, Vivienne," he replied, stepping over the unconscious man.
"Who is she?" I asked, completely bewildered by the sudden rescue.
"Vivienne is my head of intelligence, and right now, she is our only ticket out of this city," Bellamy explained, guiding me toward a waiting black SUV.
Vivienne opened the rear door for me, her eyes locking onto my face with intense scrutiny.
"She looks exactly like Juliet," Vivienne murmured, almost to herself.
I slid into the leather backseat, my mind spinning with a thousand unanswered questions.
Bellamy climbed in beside me, while Vivienne took the driver's seat and sped away from the restaurant.
Police sirens wailed in the distance, speeding toward the chaos we had just left behind.
"Where are we going?" I asked, clutching the gold medallion tightly beneath my uniform.
"We are going to a secure safe house in upstate New York," Bellamy answered, checking his encrypted phone.
"I can't just leave! My father is in the hospital in Queens, he needs me to pay his medical bills!" I protested, panic rising in my throat.
Bellamy looked at me, his expression softening slightly.
"I have already transferred enough funds to cover your father's medical care for the next ten years, Clare."
"You did what? Why?" I demanded, feeling entirely overwhelmed by his sudden interference in my life.
"Because the men who attacked the restaurant tonight are working for my uncle, Victor," Bellamy explained grimly.
"Victor believes the empire belongs to him, and he will gladly execute your father to force you to surrender the key."
I felt physically sick, realizing my simple, struggling life had just collided with a violent, unseen world.
"What is inside this vault that makes it worth killing for?" I asked, pulling the gold medallion out from under my shirt.
Vivienne looked at me through the rearview mirror, her eyes dark and serious.
"The vault contains the original ledgers of the Marseilles Syndicate, Clare."
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"It proves that your grandmother wasn't just my father's lover," Bellamy added quietly.
"Juliet Maro was the ruthless, undisputed boss of the most powerful criminal organization in France."
