Chapter 9 - The Intruders in the NightMidnight at the Moretti estate was usually as silent as a tomb, guarded by state-of-the-art biometric security systems and elite private guards. But tonight, the digital perimeter alarms flickered silently on the main security console in the basement surveillance room.
Three dark figures in tactical stealth gear scaled the rear stone wall, moving with the practiced precision of professional mercenaries. Hired directly through Arthur’s underground contacts, their mission was simple: infiltrate the guest wing, snatch the baby, and leave no trace.
Inside the nursery, Elena stirred from her sleep. A strange, unnatural creak of floorboards outside her door sent a shiver down her spine. She sat up instantly, clutching the blanket.
The door handle slowly turned, the latch clicking softly.
Elena’s breath hitched in her throat. She looked at the bassinet where her son was sleeping. Without hesitation, she slipped out of bed, grabbed a heavy brass candlestick from the bedside table, and pressed herself flat against the wall beside the door.
The door pushed open, revealing a masked operative slipping into the dark room, a silenced pistol raised in his hand. He crept toward the bassinet, looking down into the empty shadows—for Elena had cleverly draped a spare pillow under the blanket to mimic the baby's form while she stood waiting in the dark.
As the intruder realized the trick and turned around in confusion, Elena swung the heavy brass candlestick with all her might, connecting squarely with the side of his helmet.
The man grunted and stumbled, but before he could recover, the bedroom door flew open with explosive force.
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Luca stood in the doorway, his eyes burning with lethal fury. He didn't waste a single word. In a flash of motion, he closed the distance, grabbed the intruder by the tactical vest, and hurled him across the room, smashing him through a wooden side table.
Before the other two mercenaries waiting in the hallway could react, Moretti's elite security team swarmed the corridor, pinning the intruders to the floor in seconds.
