Chapter 6 - The Poisoned Ledger
Evelyn couldn't sleep that night. The Tuscan breeze rustled the silk curtains of her bedroom, but the silence felt heavier than the roar of the airplane engines.
Sofia’s words echoed in her mind: There is a mole inside this villa.
Around midnight, Evelyn quietly slipped out of her room. She knew it was dangerous, but she refused to be a passive pawn in a mob war. If she wanted her life back, she needed answers.
She crept down the stone staircase toward Antonio’s private study on the ground floor. The villa was quiet, save for the rhythmic footsteps of guards patrolling the outer courtyard.
The study door was slightly ajar, a sliver of golden light spilling across the marble floor. Evelyn peeked inside.
Antonio was sitting at a massive carved desk, surrounded by stacks of financial ledgers and encrypted laptops. His collar was unbuttoned, his sleeves rolled up, revealing bruised forearms from the crash landing in Ireland.
Sitting across from him was Marco Bellini.
"The shipping manifest from the JFK flight came through, boss," Marco was saying, handing a digital tablet to Antonio. "The ground crew supervisor in New York who cleared our luggage was found dead in an alley two hours ago. Executed."
Antonio rubbed his temples, exhaustion etched into his sharp features. "Leo is cleaning up his tracks. What about the medical kit?"
"The toxicology report from Shannon arrived," Marco said, his voice dropping low. "The toxin swapped into your auto-injector wasn't just cardiac neurotoxin. It was a rare military-grade nerve agent developed by a defense contractor in Milan."
Antonio’s eyes hardened. "That contractor only deals with high-level military contracts. Who in our inner circle has ties to Milan?"
"Only two people," Marco replied quietly. "Your cousin Gianna... and your mother."
Evelyn caught her breath, stepping back involuntarily. Her foot caught the edge of a bronze pedestal holding a terracotta vase. The pedestal scraped loudly against the marble floor.
In an instant, the study door swung open. Marco stepped out, gun drawn, aiming straight at her heart.
"Stop!" Antonio’s voice boomed from inside.
Marco lowered the barrel slightly as Antonio stepped out into the hallway.
"Evelyn," Antonio said, his tone softening instantly as he looked at her standing in her nightgown, pale and trembling. "What are you doing down here?"
"I couldn't sleep," Evelyn said, her voice shaking, her eyes darting toward Marco. "I... I heard you talking."
Antonio walked over to her, stepping between her and Marco’s gun. He looked down at her with an intense, protective warmth that made her heart race.
"You shouldn't be wandering around at night," Antonio said softly, taking her hands in his. His hands were large, warm, and remarkably gentle. "It's not safe."
"Is anywhere safe with you?" Evelyn asked softly, searching his gray-green eyes.
Antonio stared at her for a long, heavy moment. Slowly, he raised one hand and gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "No," he admitted quietly. "It isn't. But I give you my word, Evelyn... as long as I am breathing, no harm will ever come to you."
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The intensity of his gaze made Evelyn’s breath catch in her throat. For a brief second, the danger, the mob war, and the fear vanished, leaving only the magnetic pull between them.
Then, Marco’s radio crackled sharply: "Boss! Perimeter sensor alert at the north gate! We’ve got incoming vehicles!"
