Chapter 1 - The Echo in the Marble Hallway
The heavy mahogany double doors of the sprawling estate swung open, casting a long, dark shadow across the pristine marble floors of the grand hallway. Mr. Romano stepped inside, his polished leather shoes completely silent against the stone.
He was a rugged, terrifying man in his late forties. His dark hair was slicked back flawlessly, and the sharp lines of his custom black suit and black dress shirt did nothing to hide the lethal, intricate tattoos crawling up his neck and forearms. He was the undisputed king of the city’s underground syndicate, a man who built an empire on violence and absolute control.
But as he tightened his grip on his heavy black briefcase, a sound completely shattered his cold, calculating demeanor.
It was a delicate, innocent voice. A sweet, high-pitched melody floating through the vast, empty corridors of the mansion.
Mr. Romano stopped dead in his tracks. The air in his lungs turned to absolute ice. The muscles in his jaw clenched so tightly they threatened to snap.
He recognized that melody.
It was a highly specific, obscure Italian lullaby. The exact same song his beautiful wife used to sing to their three little girls every single night before she was brutally murdered in her own bedroom six months ago. Since that horrific night, his traumatized daughters hadn't spoken a single word, let alone sung a song.
The melody was coming from the kitchen.
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Mr. Romano’s slow eye movement shifted toward the arched doorway at the end of the hall. He didn't call out. He didn't rush. He moved forward with the silent, terrifying grace of a predator stalking its prey.
👉 Mr. Romano expected to find a ghost in the kitchen, but the reality waiting for him was about to rip his heart open.
