Chapter 4 - The Poisoned Setup

By seven in the evening, the mansion was crawling with armed bodyguards, bulletproof limousines, and the most dangerous men on the continent. Five crime syndicate dons arrived with their private security details, taking their places in the grand greeting salon. Tension hung thick in the air. This summit was meant to end a decade-long war—or trigger an all-out bloodbath.
Isabella was in full performance mode. Dressed in her custom-tailored champagne evening gown, sparkling with hundreds of micro-diamonds, she drifted through the hall like a regal queen, serving crystal flutes of vintage champagne to the visiting dons.
"Damiano, darling," she purred, brushing her manicured hand over Damiano’s broad shoulder as he spoke with Don Salvatore, an elderly capo from Chicago. "Everything is prepared in the executive boardroom. The contracts are set. Dinner will be served right after you conclude business."
Damiano nodded curtly, his sharp mind focused entirely on the fragile peace he was trying to broker.
Meanwhile, in the servant quarters down the hall, Sophia was adjusting Emma’s cardigan. That was when she noticed how pale and quiet her little girl was.
"Emma, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?" Sophia whispered, gently feeling her daughter’s forehead.
"Mommy..." Emma whispered, her little voice trembling. "The shiny lady brought a bad man into the big man's office. He stuck a little red clock under his chair."
Sophia froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. Before she could even process the words, the door to the pantry swung open with a violent bang.
Isabella stood in the doorway, her smile vanishing into a look of sheer, calculating malice. She had seen Emma watching her all evening, and she knew she couldn't risk leaving the child or her mother alive to speak to anyone.
May you like
👉 *Isabella didn't just want them fired—she needed them silenced before the clock struck eight-thirty.*
***