Chapter 4 - The Ticking Clock
The temperature in the executive study seemed to drop ten degrees. Uncle August paced the polished floor, his silver-grey hair catching the dim light as panic set into his aged features. "If Viktor Volkov is planning to strike today, the entire estate is in jeopardy. We have three hundred guests outside, Casper!"
Casper’s mind raced with lethal precision. He looked at Willow, who had removed her crisp white maid's headband, her auburn hair falling loosely around her shoulders, framing her determined face. "Did Volkov mention how he planned to execute the strike today?" Casper asked, his voice a low, commanding rumble.
"No," Willow replied, shaking her head. "Cordelia panicked when he suggested it. She told him to stick to the plan, but Volkov just laughed and said the Vitiello family sends their regards. Then he slipped out through the garden terrace doors. That’s when I ran to find you."
Casper pushed off the desk, his presence filling the room with terrifying authority. "Cordelia was a pawn. The Vitiellos used her greed to get Volkov inside my inner circle. She thought she was hiring a hitman, but she actually opened the front door for a full-scale syndicate assassination."
He hit the intercom button on his desk. "Marcus. Get a security detail to sweep the perimeter. We are looking for an explosive device or a sniper nest. Nobody leaves the grounds."
Static buzzed on the intercom before the head of security’s voice crackled through. "Copy that, Boss. Sweeping now."
Casper turned to his uncle. "August, I need you to take Willow down to the subterranean panic room. You'll be safe behind the reinforced steel. I am going down to the holding cells to pry the rest of the details out of my treacherous bride."
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Willow stood up abruptly, her dark eyes flashing with defiance. "I’m not hiding in a basement, Mr. Falcone. I know this estate's blind spots better than any of your guards. I clean them every day. I'm coming with you."
👉 Read PART 5 to see what horrifying truth Cordelia reveals in the dark underground holding cell!
