Chapter 14 - The House That Wasn't Safe
The alarm sounded like the end of the world.
Sharp.
Mechanical.
Relentless.
Matteo stood so quickly his chair struck the wall.
"Leo!"
A voice crackled through the house speakers.
"Security breach. East service entrance."
Matteo turned toward me.
"Stay here."
I grabbed his sleeve.
"Absolutely not."
"Clara."
"Every time you tell me to stay somewhere, someone tries to kill me."
His jaw tightened.
"Then stay with me."
I blinked.
"That's new."
He took my hand.
"Move."
We ran into the hallway.
Rosa emerged from the kitchen holding a heavy cast-iron skillet.
I stared.
"Rosa?"
She looked at me.
"What?"
"Is that your weapon?"
"Would you prefer I use the soup pot?"
I almost laughed.
Then a loud crash echoed from downstairs.
Matteo pulled me toward a hidden stairwell.
Leo appeared at the landing.
"Boss, east entrance is compromised."
"How many?"
"At least four."
"Where are the guards?"
"Two injured. One missing."
Matteo's face hardened.
"Missing?"
Leo nodded.
"Garrett."
Matteo swore.
I looked between them.
"Who's Garrett?"
"Head of residential security," Leo said.
I stared.
"Wonderful."
Another crash.
Then shouting.
Matteo took my hand again.
"Come on."
We descended into a narrow corridor.
Concrete walls.
Emergency lights.
A steel door at the end.
My heart hammered.
"Where does this go?"
"Parking level."
"How many secret hallways do you have?"
"Enough."
"That is not reassuring."
We reached the door.
Leo entered a code.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
The panel flashed red.
His expression changed.
"Boss."
Matteo stepped forward.
"What?"
"Access revoked."
I stared.
"By whom?"
Leo checked his phone.
Then looked up.
"Vittorio."
The corridor went silent.
Matteo's face hardened.
"He still has administrative authority."
Leo nodded.
"Looks like he used it."
A distant gunshot echoed through the building.
I flinched.
Matteo turned to Leo.
"Manual release?"
"Inside the utility cabinet."
"Do it."
Leo moved toward a narrow panel.
I looked at Matteo.
"Your uncle just locked us inside your own house?"
"Apparently."
"Family dinners must be incredible."
His mouth twitched.
Then he looked at my bandaged arm.
"Can you run?"
"Probably."
"Clara."
"I'll manage."
He studied my face.
"You're allowed to be afraid."
I stared at him.
"I am afraid."
His expression softened.
"I'm terrified."
He stepped closer.
"So am I."
That surprised me.
"You?"
He nodded.
"Of what?"
He looked directly at me.
"Losing someone I promised to protect."
I swallowed.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then Leo shouted.
"Got it!"
The door unlocked.
Matteo pushed it open.
We rushed into the garage.
Three vehicles waited under dim lights.
One was the armored SUV.
The others were black sedans.
Leo headed toward the SUV.
Then stopped.
"Boss."
Matteo followed his gaze.
The front tire was flat.
So was the rear.
I stared.
"Seriously?"
Leo checked the sedan.
Its hood was open.
Several cables had been cut.
Matteo's expression became terrifyingly calm.
"This wasn't an attack."
I looked at him.
"What?"
He scanned the garage.
"It's containment."
A cold feeling spread through me.
"They don't want us to leave."
"No."
"Why?"
His eyes moved toward the ceiling.
"Because someone wants to talk."
As if on cue, the garage speakers crackled.
A man's voice filled the space.
Warm.
Familiar.
"Good morning, Matteo."
Vittorio.
My blood turned cold.
Matteo looked toward the nearest camera.
"Uncle."
Vittorio sighed.
"I wish you hadn't made this necessary."
Matteo's expression didn't change.
"You could have called."
"I tried."
"With armed men?"
"Sometimes people don't listen otherwise."
I stared at the camera.
"You're a terrible uncle!"
There was a pause.
Then Vittorio laughed softly.
"Ah, Clara."
I stepped forward.
Matteo caught my arm.
I ignored him.
"You know, most people send birthday cards."
Vittorio chuckled.
"Your mother always did have a sharp tongue."
I felt sick.
"Where is she?"
Silence.
Then:
"Safe."
"That's not an address."
"You're very brave."
"I'm very angry."
"Those qualities often look similar."
Matteo stepped in front of me.
"What do you want?"
Vittorio's voice changed.
"The archive."
Matteo went still.
"What archive?"
"Don't insult me."
A pause.
"Your father kept two sets of books. One was destroyed in the fire."
"And the other?"
"Your little waitress has access to it."
My heart slammed.
I looked at Matteo.
He looked furious.
"She's not part of this."
Vittorio laughed.
"She was born into it."
My skin prickled.
"What does that mean?"
Vittorio ignored me.
"Matteo, hand her over."
"No."
"Then you leave me no choice."
The lights flickered.
A mechanical hum began somewhere above us.
Leo's expression changed.
"Boss."
Matteo looked at him.
"What?"
"Ventilation system."
A strange smell drifted into the garage.
Sharp.
Chemical.
I coughed.
Leo covered his mouth.
"Move!"
Matteo grabbed my hand.
We ran toward the emergency stairwell.
Behind us, the ventilation fans grew louder.
My eyes watered.
I stumbled.
Matteo caught me.
"Keep moving!"
The stairwell door was locked.
Leo slammed his shoulder into it.
Once.
Twice.
Nothing.
Matteo pulled a small tool from his pocket and forced the latch mechanism.
The door opened.
We stumbled inside.
Leo slammed it shut behind us.
I bent over coughing.
Matteo held me upright.
"Clara."
"I'm fine."
"Look at me."
I raised my head.
His eyes searched my face.
"Can you breathe?"
"Yes."
He exhaled.
Then we heard footsteps above us.
Running.
Coming down.
Leo turned.
His expression hardened.
"Boss, we have company."
Matteo looked at me.
Then toward the stairs.
"Clara."
"What?"
"There's something you need to know."
I stared.
"Now?"
"Yes."
He gripped my shoulders.
"The document we found. Your guardian."
My heart pounded.
"Vittorio."
He shook his head.
"No."
I stared.
"What?"
"The document was altered."
The footsteps grew louder.
Matteo's voice dropped.
"Your original guardian wasn't Vittorio Conti."
I swallowed.
"Then who?"
He looked me straight in the eye.
"My father."
The world seemed to stop.
"Your father?"
Matteo nodded.
"Alessandro Conti."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
His expression was grim.
"Because after the fire, your mother tried to give you to him."
My breath caught.
"Give me to him?"
"To keep you alive."
The footsteps were almost upon us.
Matteo pulled me behind him.
Then whispered something that turned my blood cold.
"Clara, I don't think Daniel Bennett is your biological father."
May you like
I stopped breathing.
"And I think my father knew exactly who was."
