CHAPTER 4 – THE TRAITOR IN THE FAMILY
CHAPTER 4 – THE TRAITOR IN THE FAMILY
Bullets tore through designer furniture.
Smoke swallowed the elegant showroom.
Marcus grabbed Maya's wrist.
"This way!"
"I can't run!"
"I'm not asking."
He guided her through the back hallway toward the employees-only exit.
Despite the blood pouring from his shoulder, he stayed between her and every bullet.
Always between.
Charlotte hurried after them.
"Marcus!"
He didn't stop.
"I'm not leaving you!"
"You already should have."
The words were cold.
Professional.
Charlotte finally understood.
She had never truly been his choice.
She had only been an agreement between powerful families.
Nothing more.
The realization hurt more than she'd expected.
Suddenly—
A gunshot echoed behind them.
One of Marcus's bodyguards collapsed.
Another shouted,
"They're flanking us!"
Marcus cursed under his breath.
"They knew the building layout."
His lieutenant, Luca Romano, appeared at the hallway entrance with six armed men.
"We've secured the rear exit."
Marcus nodded.
"Get Maya out."
Luca didn't move.
Instead...
He looked at Maya.
Then at her stomach.
His face turned pale.
"So the rumors were true..."
Marcus narrowed his eyes.
"What rumors?"
Luca hesitated.
For the first time in fifteen years, he seemed afraid of his own boss.
"My men intercepted messages two weeks ago."
"What messages?"
"There was a contract."
Marcus's voice became ice.
"Speak."
Luca swallowed.
"Someone inside the Organization accepted fifty million dollars..."
"...to deliver your wife."
Silence.
Marcus stared at him.
"Who?"
Luca slowly removed a small encrypted phone from his pocket.
"We traced the payments."
Marcus took it.
Opened the file.
His expression didn't change.
But the color drained from his face.
"No..."
Maya saw his hands begin to shake.
She had never seen Marcus afraid.
Not once.
"What is it?"
He looked at her.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"It wasn't one traitor."
She frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Marcus turned the screen toward her.
There were dozens of names.
Captains.
Lawyers.
Financial advisers.
Trusted bodyguards.
Nearly half of his inner circle.
Every one marked in red.
Every one paid to betray him.
Then Maya noticed the final name.
It sat alone at the bottom of the list.
Highlighted.
Larger than the others.
Marcus stared at it for several long seconds.
His lips parted.
"No..."
Charlotte stepped closer.
"What?"
Marcus slowly looked up.
His eyes were filled not with anger—
But heartbreak.
"The money..."
"...came from someone inside my own bloodline."
Before anyone could ask another question—
A calm voice echoed from the far end of the hallway.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out."
Everyone turned.
An elderly man stepped out of the smoke wearing an immaculate black overcoat.
Silver hair.
Elegant posture.
A polished cane in one hand.
His smile was almost grandfatherly.
Almost.
Maya recognized him instantly.
She had once served him Sunday dinners.
She had called him family.
Marcus didn't move.
His voice was hollow.
"...Father."
The old man smiled warmly.
"I warned you years ago."
"You chose love over power."
He looked directly at Maya.
"And now look what your little romance has cost this family."
Marcus's bleeding hand tightened around his pistol.
"You ordered this?"
His father sighed.
"I ordered what was necessary."
Then his gaze settled on Maya's belly.
"The woman can leave."
A long pause.
"But the child..."
His smile disappeared.
"...must never be born."
The hallway fell into absolute silence.
Marcus slowly stepped in front of Maya.
Shielding her once again.
Then he pointed his gun—
Not at the enemy soldiers.
Not at the assassins.
But directly at his own father.
And whispered the words that would ignite a civil war inside the Valentino empire.
May you like
"If anyone touches my wife..."
"...I'll burn this family to the ground."
