Chapter 6 - The Viper Within
Three weeks passed inside the Vane estate.
Life adapted to a surreal, tense routine. My modest apartment was quietly cleared out by Lucian's men, my back rent paid in full, and my former manager given a generous sum to forget I had ever existed. In exchange, I moved into the lavish guest suite adjacent to Leo's nursery.
During the days, I cared for my nephew. Under my care, baby Leo thrived. He gained weight, laughed for the first time, and learned to crawl across the plush carpets of the estate living room. And with every passing day, the bond between us grew unbreakable.
But the house itself was a pressure cooker of dark secrets.
I began noticing strange subtle details about the estate's security. Marco, Lucian's second-in-command, was always around, but his eyes were cold and calculating. Whenever Lucian left the grounds for operational meetings, Marco would hang around the nursery hallway, watching me through the cracked door with an unsettling intensity.
One late evening, while pacing the second-floor gallery to get Leo to sleep, I overheard a hushed conversation coming from Lucian's private study.
The door was slightly ajar.
"I'm telling you, Don Vane, the girl is a liability," Marco's harsh voice growled from inside. "The Rossi family is mobilizing their soldiers near the docks. If we keep her here, we're inviting a full-scale assault on the compound. Let me handle her quietly."
"Handle her?" Lucian's voice echoed back like thunder. "Touch one hair on Elina's head, Marco, and I will feed you to the bottom of the bay."
"Lucian, look at yourself!" Marco argued, his tone rising dangerously. "You're blinded by a ghost! She looks like Clara, so you're letting your guard down! Nine months ago, Clara’s transport route was leaked to the Rossis! We still haven't found the traitor in our inner circle! How do you know this 'twin' isn't a sleeper planted by Mateo Rossi?"
My heart slammed against my ribs. A traitor in the inner circle?
"I personally verified the DNA with Harrison," Lucian snapped. "Elina is innocent."
"Then she's a distraction!" Marco spat. "And distractions get men killed!"
I backed away quietly, hugging Leo tightly against my chest as I retreated into the dark corridor. But my mind was spinning.
Marco had mentioned Clara's transport route being leaked nine months ago. And just three days ago, while looking for a spare blanket in the nursery closet, I had found an old leather planner that belonged to Clara. Inside the back cover, written in Clara's neat handwriting, were three letters repeated next to several dates: M.V. - $50,000 paid.
M.V.
May you like
Marco Viti.
Marco wasn't just warning Lucian about a traitor. Marco was the traitor. He was the one who had sold Clara's route to the Rossi syndicate, and now he was terrified that my presence would uncover his secret!
