Chapter 4 - The Viper in the Family Tree
The following afternoon, an eerie quiet settled over the estate.
Adrian had been forced to leave for a ninety-minute emergency meeting at the Chicago Union League Club. Three rival syndicate bosses had requested a summit to discuss territorial lines, and Adrian’s presence was non-negotiable to maintain the fragile peace. He had left Marco and eight elite operatives guarding the estate perimeter, under strict orders that no unauthorized personnel enter the grounds.
I lay in bed, reading a baby care book, while Nurse Elena checked my IV line. The bleeding risk had stabilized slightly over the past forty-eight hours, but the pressure in my lower pelvis remained an ominous, dull ache.
Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open.
Dominic Silva stepped into the room. He wasn't wearing his usual corporate suit; he wore a heavy trench coat, and his hands were tucked deep into his pockets.
Nurse Elena stood up immediately, frowning. “Excuse me, sir. Mr. Moretti explicitly stated that Mrs. Moretti is not to have visitors while he is away.”
Dominic smiled—a cold, humorless grin. “Mr. Moretti requested that I bring some urgent estate documents for Mrs. Moretti to review regarding the baby’s private medical insurance. You can step outside for five minutes, nurse.”
Elena shook her head firmly. “I cannot leave the patient.”
In a fraction of a second, Dominic pulled a silenced pistol from his coat pocket and leveled it directly at the nurse’s chest. “Step into the bathroom, lock the door from the inside, and don't make a sound if you want to see tomorrow morning.”
Elena gasped, her eyes wide with terror.
“Dominic!” I cried out, struggling to sit up as a sharp pain ripped across my abdomen. “What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?”
“Quiet, Claire,” Dominic snapped, gesturing with the weapon toward the nurse. Elena, trembling violently, backed into the adjoining master bathroom and clicked the lock shut.
Dominic turned back to me, the polite, polished attorney completely gone. His eyes burned with erratic, manic ambition.
“You always were Adrian’s greatest weakness,” Dominic said softly, pulling a sealed envelope from his jacket. “Three years ago, Adrian was an untouchable machine. He was expanding into logistics, cleaning the family name, taking over the Midwest. Then he married you—an innocent little schoolteacher’s daughter with high morals and zero stomach for blood.”
“You were the leak,” I breathed, the horrifying realization crashing down on me. “The car bomb. The hitmen. It wasn't an external syndicate. It was you!”
“The Falcone family pays far better than Adrian’s rigid corporate rules,” Dominic sneered. “And more importantly, they promised me thirty percent of the port operations once Adrian was eliminated. Everything was going according to plan until he suddenly divorced you and went underground like a wounded wolf. I couldn't get a clean shot at him because he was constantly moving, cleaning out safe houses.”
Dominic took two steps closer to the bed, pointing the gun at my swollen stomach.
“And now, you show up eight months pregnant,” Dominic whispered. “The mighty Adrian Moretti, who refused to take a single meeting for three days because his ex-wife has a complication. Do you know how easy it was to orchestrate that emergency meeting downtown today? The syndicates didn't call that meeting, Claire. I did.”
My heart hammered against my ribs like a caged beast. “Adrian will slaughter you for this, Dominic. He will skin you alive.”
“Adrian won't get the chance,” Dominic chuckled coldly. “The convoy he took downtown? His brake lines were compromised thirty minutes before departure. Right about now, his armored SUV is tumbling off the I-90 overpass. And you, my dear Claire... you are about to have a tragic, fatal medical emergency before the private ambulance can arrive.”
The horror of his words hit me like a physical blow. Panic surged through my veins, and instantly, a searing, white-hot spasm tore through my lower stomach.
May you like
I looked down in terror. A bright red stain was spreading rapidly across the white sheets beneath me.
The placenta had fully detached.
