Chapter 1 - The Company Phone
Mave stared at the sleek black box resting on the mahogany desk.
She did not want it.
Accepting a phone from Leo Castiglion felt exactly like accepting a tracking collar.
"Take it," Leo repeated.
His voice left absolutely no room for negotiation.
She reached out and closed her fingers around the smooth cardboard.
"Thank you," she muttered.
She turned and walked out of the study without looking back.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of dusting and polishing the endless antique furniture.
The sprawling mansion was suffocatingly silent after Carmine finally left the premises.
At noon, Mave sat on the edge of her narrow bed in the staff quarters.
She unboxed the expensive device and pressed the power button.
The screen illuminated instantly.
It was already fully activated and connected to a private cellular network.
She placed it on her nightstand and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.
Ten minutes later, the phone vibrated violently against the wood.
An unknown blocked number flashed brightly on the pristine screen.
Mave hesitated for a long moment before swiping the green icon to answer.
"Hello?" she asked cautiously.
"You should not have taken his gifts, Mave."
The voice was thick, heavily accented, and completely unfamiliar to her.
"Who is this?" she demanded.
"Someone who knows exactly what your mother stole from the Russian syndicate."
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The line clicked and went completely dead.
Mave felt the blood drain entirely from her face.
