Chapter 2 - The Hallway of Echoes
The corridor stretching from the north wing to the central gallery was paved with black-and-white marble tiles polished to a mirror finish, reflecting the heavy bronze chandeliers that hung from the coffered ceilings. For Dominic Russo, this hallway was a map of power. Every door represented a department of his empire—shipping, finance, security, and external relations. Tonight, however, the heavy mahogany doors were shut tight, silencing the usual discussions of territory and trade.
Dominic walked slowly, his footsteps muffled by the thick Persian runners laid over the marble. At forty-five, he carried the weight of a syndicate that spanned three continents, but tonight his body felt unusually heavy. For weeks, a persistent fatigue had settled into his bones, a sluggishness that his personal physician, Dr. Aris Thorne, attributed to chronic stress and overwork.
"You are pushing yourself too hard, Dominic," Dr. Thorne had said earlier that evening, sliding a silver tray onto the mahogany side table in the private study. "The biological markers show depletion. A simple restorative peptide injection will clear the fog. Standard protocol for men in your position."
Dominic trusted Aris. The doctor had sewn up bullet wounds, extracted shrapnel, and kept quiet about things that could have brought down governments. Yet, as Dominic unbuttoned his cuff, a subtle unease prickled at the back of his neck. It wasn't fear—fear was a luxury he had excised from his mind decades ago—it was an instinctive dissonance. The air in the study felt too still. The doctor's hands, usually steady as surgical steel, hovered over the tray with a micro-tremor that Dominic’s sharp eyes caught instantly.
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Before the needle could touch his skin, the heavy oak doors of the study drifted open. They hadn't been latched properly. Through the gap came the patter of bare feet against the runner—a sound too light to belong to any of his guards or lieutenants.
Dominic raised a hand, freezing Dr. Thorne mid-motion. "Wait."
