CHAPTER 3 — The Coffin Was Never Meant for Victor
CHAPTER 3 — The Coffin Was Never Meant for Victor
The massive iron gates of the Moretti estate began to slide open with a low mechanical groan.
From the driveway, Isabella frowned.
"Why are the gates opening?" she asked.
The assassin—whose real name Victor still didn't know—rested a hand inside his jacket, where the outline of a suppressed pistol became visible beneath the tailored fabric.
"Relax," he said. "He's coming."
Across the lawn, hidden by the cypress trees, Victor watched every movement.
"No," he murmured. "He's hunting."
Marco stood beside him.
"Orders?"
Victor's voice remained calm.
"Nobody fires unless I do."
Marco looked stunned.
"They tried to murder you."
"And if we start shooting now, we'll never know who paid for all this."
The assassin wasn't acting like a hired killer finishing a routine contract.
He was acting like a man protecting something much larger.
Victor intended to uncover it.
Meanwhile, Sophia clutched the gold watch Victor had given her.
She tugged on her father's sleeve.
"Dad..."
Antonio knelt beside her.
"What is it?"
"The bad man."
"What about him?"
"He keeps touching his ear."
Antonio squinted toward the driveway.
Sure enough, every few seconds the fake driver brushed two fingers against his right ear.
Like he was listening to someone.
Sophia whispered,
"He's talking to another person."
Antonio suddenly understood.
An earpiece.
Someone else was directing the operation.
He hurried toward Marco.
Within moments, Luca was scanning nearby radio frequencies.
His laptop began capturing encrypted transmissions.
Most were unreadable.
Then one voice cut through.
"Package hasn't arrived."
Another voice answered.
"Wait another sixty seconds."
A third interrupted.
"If Moretti misses the flight, activate Plan B."
Marco looked up sharply.
"There are more teams."
Victor nodded.
"I expected that."
"No..."
Marco swallowed.
"They expected this."
Victor slowly pieced it together.
The bomb had never been the only assassination method.
If the explosion failed...
Someone else would finish the job.
Luca zoomed into satellite images of the estate.
Three unfamiliar vehicles appeared parked nearly half a mile away along an abandoned maintenance road.
Victor recognized military positioning immediately.
"Snipers."
Marco stared.
"Three?"
Victor shook his head.
"No."
He enlarged the image.
"Four."
One vehicle was empty.
The shooter had already moved into position.
Victor made his decision.
"Split into four teams."
Marco immediately issued commands.
Within seconds, armed men disappeared through gardens, rooftops, and wooded trails surrounding the property.
No sirens.
No shouting.
Only silence.
That silence frightened Victor more than gunfire.
Professionals preferred silence.
At exactly 7:15...
The assassin checked his watch.
"He's late."
Isabella forced a smile, but Victor noticed something new.
A flicker of uncertainty.
She dialed his number again.
This time Victor answered immediately.
"Victor!"
Her voice sounded worried.
"Where are you?"
"I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"What color coffin would suit me?"
Silence.
Then—
"What?"
Victor's voice turned icy.
"The bomb under my car."
Another silence.
Longer this time.
He heard her breathing stop.
"I..."
"You chose black?"
Click.
Victor ended the call.
Across the driveway, Isabella's face turned ghost white.
The assassin grabbed her arm.
"What happened?"
"He knows."
The assassin's eyes narrowed.
"Impossible."
"He knows."
Without another word, the assassin reached into his jacket.
Instead of drawing a weapon...
He pressed a small remote.
Nothing happened.
He pressed it again.
Still nothing.
His face changed.
"The signal's jammed."
Luca smiled from inside the security room.
"I found their frequency."
The bomb had just become useless.
Then the first shot rang out.
CRACK!
Not from Victor's men.
From the woods.
One of the hidden snipers had fired early.
The bullet smashed into the windshield of the black sedan.
Glass exploded across the driveway.
Chaos erupted.
The assassin dove behind the car.
Isabella screamed.
Senator Coleman threw himself to the ground.
Victor's men moved instantly.
Suppressors whispered from every direction.
Within seconds, two hidden snipers were pinned down.
But the fourth...
Had disappeared.
Victor's instincts screamed.
"Find the missing shooter!"
Before anyone could react—
Sophia's terrified voice echoed across the gardens.
"Mr. Victor!"
He turned.
She was pointing toward the roof of the villa.
A dark figure had already taken position above them.
The sniper had never intended to kill Victor at the driveway.
He had been waiting for Victor to reveal himself.
The rifle turned.
May you like
Straight toward Sophia.
Victor moved before he even thought.
