Chapter 3 - The Web We Weave
The next morning, the penthouse was filled with the smell of fresh espresso and warm croissants. Victoria sat at the glass dining table, draped in silk, scrolling through her tablet with a serene smile. To anyone else, she was the picture of grace. To Dominic, who stood in the doorway adjusting his cufflinks, she looked like a corpse waiting to be buried.
“Good morning, darling,” Victoria purred, raising her eyes. “You came home so late. I missed you.”
“Business down at the yard,” Dominic said, his voice perfectly smooth, devoid of the hatred screaming in his veins. He walked over, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. It took every ounce of his legendary self-control not to wrap his hands around her throat. “The Santoros are pushing the northern borders. I had to settle a few disputes.”
“Oh, those dreadful people,” Victoria sighed, sipping her tea. “I’m so glad my family distanced themselves from that branch of the clan years ago. You shouldn't have to deal with such stress.”
Liar, Dominic thought. You’re coordinating with them daily.
At that moment, Lucas and Sophia walked into the dining room, their footsteps quiet, their eyes instantly darting to Victoria with a practiced, terrified submission. Sophia clung tightly to Lucas’s hand.
“Go sit down, children,” Victoria said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. “Elena made your favorite pancakes.”
Dominic watched his children carefully. When Sophia sat, she accidentally bumped her orange juice glass, spilling a few drops onto the placemat. The little girl gasped, her entire body freezing in absolute terror. She looked at Victoria, her eyes filling with tears, expecting a blow.
Victoria’s smile tightened, a micro-expression of pure disgust crossing her face. “Sophia, sweetheart, do be careful—”
Before Victoria could finish, Dominic stepped forward, grabbing a napkin and gently wiping the spill himself. “It’s just juice, princess,” he said softly, kneeling beside his daughter. He looked into her wide, frightened eyes, conveying a promise he hoped she could feel. “Daddy’s got it. You’re okay.”
Sophia looked from Dominic to Victoria, confused by the sudden shield her father was providing. Dominic patted her hand, then stood up, catching Elena’s eye as she cleared the plates.
Later that afternoon, Dominic met with his most trusted underboss, Marcus, in a secure, swept warehouse near the river.
“I need a full sweep of Victoria Santoro’s financial records, her call logs, and every contact she’s made in the last six months,” Dominic ordered. “And Marcus? Do it yourself. If a single word of this leaks back to the Santoros, I’ll know it was you.”
May you like
Marcus bowed his head. “Understood, boss. But what about the kids? If she’s as dangerous as you say…”
“I’m taking them out of the equation,” Dominic said. “But it has to look like a normal trip. If she suspects I’m hiding them, she’ll run, and I want her—and her entire faction—ruined.”
