Chapter 3 - The Missing Button
As Vincent raised the silenced pistol toward Sophia, a sudden movement near his chest caught her eye.
The middle button of his expensive custom silk shirt was completely missing, leaving a jagged thread dangling in the dim light.
Sophia’s mind raced back to earlier that morning. While tidying the primary suite upstairs, she had found a heavy, gold-crested cuff button embedded deep in the plush rug near Lorenzo’s ransacked safe—a button identical to the ones lining Vincent’s cuffs and shirt front. It was physical proof that Vincent hadn't just ambushed Lorenzo from behind; he had fought him in his own bedroom, losing a piece of his uniform in the struggle.
"You're making a mistake, Vincent," Sophia said, her voice suddenly hardening, losing all trace of the timid maid.
Vincent paused, his eyebrows arching in surprise. "Am I? Who is going to stop me? The police? Lorenzo’s loyalists? They all think he's out of town on syndicate business."
"The family doctor is already on his way," Sophia bluffed, keeping her eyes fixed on his missing button. "And when he walks through those front doors and doesn't find Mr. Duca, your entire story falls apart. Just like your shirt."
Vincent glanced down involuntarily at the open gap in his silk shirt where the button was missing. For a fraction of a second, his composure fractured.
That micro-second of hesitation was all Lorenzo needed.
With a roar of pure, caged fury, Lorenzo threw his weight forward, smashing the heavy iron chair into Vincent’s shins. Vincent stumbled violently backward, dropping the suppressor-fitted pistol as he crashed against a wooden wine rack.
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"Run!" Lorenzo roared at Sophia.
Sophia didn't hesitate. She scooped up Emma, bolted past Vincent while he was tangled in the splintered wood, and scrambled up the stone stairs toward the safety of the upper floor.
