Chapter 4 - The Ransom of InnocenceTessa’s heart hammered against her ribs as she sprinted down the back service stairs toward the kitchen.
She hadn't meant to eavesdrop on the interrogation, but when Paulie had left her standing by the hallway arch, she had heard enough to realize the horrifying truth: Marcus Vance wasn't just a traitor—he was connected to a faction within the syndicate that wanted Victor destroyed, and they knew everything about the people Victor cared about.
Including her brother, Liam.
Her phone buzzed violently in the pocket of her uniform.
With trembling fingers, she yanked it out. A text message from an unknown number flashed on the screen:
If you ever want to see your brother alive again, walk out the back service gates in five minutes. Don’t tell Romano, or the boy dies.
Tessa gasped, tears springing to her eyes.
She didn't hesitate. The thought of Liam—foolish, reckless Liam—paying the price for a war he didn't understand shattered her composure. She forgot the armed guards, she forgot the locked compound gates, and she forgot every warning Victor had ever given her.
She bolted out the back service entrance into the chilly night air.
The courtyard was dark, shadows stretching long across the gravel as the wind howled through the iron perimeter. She reached the small service gate used by delivery trucks—a secondary exit that led out into a quiet, tree-lined alley behind the estate.
To her horror, the small electronic lock was blinking green. Someone inside the estate had disabled it.
Tessa pushed the heavy iron door open and stepped out into the dark alley.
A black sedan sat idling against the curb, its headlights off.
Before she could turn back, the rear door of the car flew open, and a heavy hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her scream. Strong arms dragged her backward into the dark interior of the vehicle, and the tires squealed against the asphalt as the car rocketed away into the night.
Back inside the mansion, Victor strode down the hallway, intending to check on Tessa and ensure she was safe after the harrowing ordeal with Marcus.
He pushed open the door to the staff quarters, only to find it empty.
A cold dread—sharper and more terrifying than any bullet wound he had ever taken—seized his chest.
He walked over to the small wooden table beside her bed. Resting there was her cheap plastic phone, screen lit up with the glowing notification of the text message she had left behind in her panic.
Victor picked up the phone, his dark eyes scanning the message in a single, devastating glance.
For a long moment, the ruthless mafia boss stood completely frozen in the empty room. The air felt sucked from his lungs.
Then, he turned around, his face a terrifying mask of controlled fury, and walked out into the hallway where Paulie was waiting.
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“Boss? What’s wrong?” Paulie asked, taking a step back as he saw Victor’s expression.
“They took her,” Victor said, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper that made Paulie’s blood run cold. “Get the cars. Every man we have. If a single hair on her head is harmed, I want every block of this city torn down to the bedrock until we find her.”
