Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary
The inner sanctum of the Moretto compound was located deep beneath the main estate, behind heavy steel-reinforced blast doors and biometric security scanners. Elena had worked in the estate for two years, but she had never known this subterranean bunker existed.
Soft ambient lighting revealed a fully furnished residence with bulletproof glass walls overlooking a private subterranean courtyard. Ethan sat on a plush velvet sofa, wrapped in a cashmere blanket, sipping warm tea. Lily, completely unaware of the horror she had narrowly averted, was sitting on a plush rug playing with Ethan's vintage model cars.
Elena stood stiffly by the marble kitchen island, still wearing her stained apron. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Dante entered after shedding his suit jacket, rolling up his white linen sleeves to reveal intricate, ancient family crests and scarred skin. He poured two fingers of amber whiskey into a tumbler and placed it gently in front of Elena.
""Drink,"" he said softly.
""I... I am on duty, sir. I cannot,"" Elena stammered, keeping her gaze pinned to the floor.
Dante sighed, his expression weary yet intensely vigilant. ""You are no longer a maid in this house, Elena. Your daughter saved Ethan’s life. If he had cut that cake, if he had taken one single bite... I would be planning my only child's funeral tonight. That makes you family. And in the Moretto family, debts of blood are paid with absolute protection.""
Elena swallowed hard. ""Sir, those men... they asked for Lily. Why? How could they possibly know who she was in just a few minutes?""
Dante’s eyes narrowed into slits. ""Because the traitor is not outside these walls. The man with the snake eyes Lily saw... he didn't just walk in through the gates. He is on my payroll. He was wearing my security badge.""
Elena’s heart dropped. ""Someone inside your inner circle?""
""Yes,"" Dante said, stepping closer. ""And he knows that Lily saw his face without a mask. She is the only living witness who can identify him before he strikes again.""
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Just then, the security monitor behind Dante flashed yellow. Marco’s face appeared on the intercom screen.
""Boss,"" Marco said urgently. ""We caught the kitchen surveillance feed just before the power cut. The man Lily described... he left something behind in her nursery.""
