Chapter 14
The fragile peace shattered three days later. Rachel was in the kitchen, helping the cook prepare a simple pasta dish for Lily, when a loud, concussive boom echoed across the estate grounds. The windows rattled violently, and the lights flickered and died.
"Get down!" Rachel screamed, grabbing Lily and pulling her under the heavy oak dining table just as a hail of gunfire shattered the kitchen windows.
Glass rained down around them, mixing with the scent of smoke and shattered porcelain. Rachel covered Lily’s small body with her own, her heart pounding frantically against her ribs.
"Mommy!" Lily cried, burying her face in Rachel’s chest.
"Shh, baby, I've got you," Rachel whispered, her hands shaking.
Through the chaos, she heard the heavy, rhythmic thud of boots running down the hallway. The kitchen door burst open, and Gabriel appeared in the doorway, armed with an assault rifle, his face a mask of absolute, lethal fury.
"Rachel!" Gabriel roared over the gunfire.
"We're here!" Rachel yelled back, peering out from under the table.
Gabriel moved with terrifying speed, clearing the kitchen in seconds. He knelt beside the table, pulling Rachel and Lily out. "The perimeter is breached. The Bellinis hired mercenaries. We need to move to the safe room."
He grabbed Rachel’s hand, pulling her down the dark, smoke-filled hallway. The sound of shouting and gunfire echoed through the opulent estate, the golden sanctuary turning into a war zone.
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They reached the grand staircase, but a figure stepped out from the shadows of the landing. It was Marco, Gabriel’s chief enforcer, holding a suppressed pistol aimed directly at Gabriel’s chest.
"Sorry, Boss," Marco said, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "Vanessa offered me double my cut of the docking lanes."
