Chapter 4 - The Vanishing
The morning brought an eerie, heavy fog that rolled in off the lake, blanketing the Moretti estate in a thick shroud of gray.
Sophia was setting the table for breakfast in the main dining hall when the heavy wooden doors burst open. Marco sprinted into the room, his face pale, holding an open laptop.
"Boss! We have a breach on the west perimeter wall!" Marco shouted toward the study.
Alessandro emerged instantly, his gun drawn. "When?"
"Just now—the motion sensors were disabled, but the backup grid picked up a thermal spike near the old stables!"
Sophia dropped the silver tray she was holding, the metallic clang echoing loudly off the marble floor. Her heart plummeted into her throat.
"Emma!" she screamed.
Sophia didn't wait for the guards. She turned and sprinted wildly toward the east wing apartment. Alessandro followed right behind her, his pulse racing with a terrifying, blinding speed.
When Sophia slammed open the apartment door, her worst nightmare was laid bare.
The room was in complete disarray. The small window leading to the rear courtyard had been smashed open, shattered glass glittering across the floorboards.
Emma’s bed was empty.
Her tiny cream-colored teddy bear lay abandoned near the baseboard, torn at the seam.
In the center of the room, lying on his side, was Bruno. The massive dog was bleeding profusely from a heavy head wound, whimpering weakly as he tried to push himself up on trembling legs. He had fought savagely—torn fabric and blood from an intruder covered his claws—but a heavy iron bar had rendered him helpless.
"No... no, no, NO!" Sophia shrieked, collapsing to her knees, clutching her daughter’s torn teddy bear to her chest. She let out a guttural, heart-shattering scream of pure anguish. "EMMA! EMMA!"
Alessandro stepped into the room, his eyes sweeping the scene. The blood drained from his face, replaced by a cold, apocalyptic fury that transformed him into something terrifying.
He knelt beside Bruno. The dog lifted his heavy, bleeding head, letting out a sorrowful, apologetic whine, looking at his master as if begging for forgiveness for failing to protect the little girl.
"Shh... good boy," Alessandro muttered softly, placing a firm hand on Bruno’s neck. "You did your job. I’ll take it from here."
Alessandro stood up. He walked over to the shattered window. pinned to the wooden frame with a combat knife was a blood-stained note.
Alessandro pulled the knife free and unfolded the paper.
Moretti,
You took my territory. I took your new heart. If you want the girl back alive, bring the signet ledger and surrender the Chicago docks to the Valenti family by midnight. Come alone to the abandoned meatpacking plant on 4th Street. If I see a single one of your guards, the child dies.
— Lorenzo Valenti
Sophia crawled over to Alessandro, gripping his coat furiously, her face covered in tears, her body shaking uncontrollably.
"Please, Alessandro! Please bring her back! Save my baby! Please!" she sobbed, drowning in despair.
Alessandro dropped the knife. He bent down and wrapped his powerful arms around Sophia, lifting her off the cold floor and pulling her tightly against his chest. He held her close, letting her feel the terrifying, steady thunder of his heartbeat.
"Listen to me, Sophia," Alessandro commanded, his voice unnervingly calm, packed with an ancient, deadly authority. "Look at me."
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Sophia forced herself to look up into his dark eyes. They were no longer the eyes of a businessman or a guarded man. They were the eyes of a monster who had just been given permission to unleash hell.
"I will bring Emma back to you," Alessandro vowed, each word dripping with lethal intent. "And every single man who had a hand in taking her will beg for the sweet mercy of death before this night is over. I swear this on my life."
