Chapter 5 - The Silent Assault
Dante didn't scream. He didn't call for his guards. The cinematic realism of his absolute, lethal focus was far more terrifying than any violent outburst.
He stood up smoothly, towering over the corridor once again. He looked at Rosa, who was still trembling by the kitchen door.
"Take your daughter to my private office," Dante commanded softly. "Lock the door. Do not let anyone inside until I come back for you."
Rosa didn't ask questions. She nodded frantically, scooped up Sophia, and ran toward the safe room.
Dante turned his back on the kitchen. He didn't draw a weapon. He moved down the grand marble corridor with the terrifying, silent grace of a ghost.
He bypassed his security detail entirely. He walked directly toward the forbidden west wing.
As he approached the heavy mahogany double doors, he noticed a faint, fresh scratch on the brass lock cylinder. Someone had been picking the lock daily.
Dante slowly pushed the heavy doors open.
The west wing was dark, the heavy curtains drawn tightly shut. Dante walked down the silent hallway, approaching the master bedroom at the very end. The door was slightly ajar.
He pushed it open.
Sitting on the edge of a simple mattress, wearing a faded white nightgown, was a woman with blonde hair. She looked up, her face pale and exhausted. A massive, healed burn scar stretched across her right forearm.
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It was Elena. His wife. She wasn't dead.
👉 Dante’s heart shattered into a million pieces, but Elena’s terrified reaction would reveal the true monster in the house.
