Chapter 7 - The Uninvited Guest
The autumn wind howled through the sprawling oaks surrounding the Barrington estate, thrashing the branches against the reinforced glass windows of the second-floor library.
Inside, Simone sat cross-legged on a plush leather sofa, reviewing a digital manuscript for an upcoming historical preservation project. The house was quiet, save for the soft hum of the HVAC system and the distant sound of nurses attending to her father in the east wing.
A sharp, unnatural sound broke the silence.
Click.
It wasn't a door opening normally. It was the distinct, metallic snick of a master security bypass code being punched into the electronic wall panel beside the library entrance.
Simone froze. She slipped her laptop off her lap, setting it quietly on the coffee table, and slid off the sofa.
She moved toward the heavy mahogany doors, her heart hammering against her ribs. Julian had explicitly told her that nobody could bypass the primary security codes except him, Marco, and a select few senior captains.
The door swung open smoothly.
Standing in the doorway was a man she had never seen before. Broad-shouldered, wearing a dark trench coat dusted with rain, with a jagged scar running from his ear down his jawline. Behind him, two armed thugs flanked the hallway, their weapons concealed beneath bulky jackets.
Viktor Rostov smiled, showing a flash of gold against graying teeth.
"Ah," Rostov said in a gravelly, accented voice. "The brilliant Miss Bellamy. Julian Marzano’s new favorite pet."
Simone didn't scream. She didn't cower. The years of managing her father’s decline, dealing with toxic family members, and surviving the brutal pressures of Chicago life had forged an unbreakable core inside her.
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"You're trespassing," Simone said, her voice eerily steady. "And the alarm you just bypassed has already sent a silent signal to twenty armed guards stationed downstairs."
Rostov chuckled, stepping into the room. "Let them come. By the time your precious Marzano’s men clear the gatehouse, you and I will be having a very pleasant conversation about my four hundred thousand dollars."
