Chapter 4 - THE SIEGE OF THE GOLDCASTLE
The storm broke just after midnight.
Heavy sheets of rain lashed against the tall stained-glass windows of the Moretti mansion, turning the manicured lawns into slick sheets of mud. Inside the east wing nursery, Olivia sat in a rocking chair, softly humming a lullaby as she rocked little Noah to sleep, while the older children slept soundly in the adjoining bedrooms, protected by three layers of armed security in the hallway.
Downstairs in his private study, Victor Moretti sat behind his mahogany desk, cleaning a custom-engraved Beretta pistol with methodical, chilling precision.
The security monitor on his desk suddenly flickered to life.
Warning. Perimeter breach. Sector Three—North Gate.
Before the alarm klaxon could even begin its shrill wail, the sound of automatic gunfire echoed sharply from the front gardens. Muffled shouts, the shattering of glass, and the heavy thud of tactical boots against stone reverberated through the grand foyer.
Vincent Vance had made his move. Desperate and arrogant, he had sent an assassination squad directly through the gates, believing the rumors that Victor Moretti had lost his edge.
Victor didn't flinch. He didn't call for backup.
He stood up, tucked the Beretta into his shoulder holster, picked up a shotgun from the rack beside his desk, and walked out into the dimly lit hallway.
The heavy oak door of the study blew inward as a concussion grenade went off in the corridor. Two masked mercenaries in tactical gear rushed through the smoke, their submachine guns raised, sweeping the room.
They never got the chance to fire.
Victor stepped out of the shadows, raised the shotgun with lethal efficiency, and fired twice. Both men dropped instantly, crashing hard onto the Persian rug.
Step by step, floor by floor, Victor cleared his home. He moved with the terrifying, supernatural grace of a apex predator defending its young. Every corner turned was an execution; every shadow hiding an intruder was swept clean.
By the time he reached the front foyer, three more mercenaries were pinned down behind the marble pillars while Marco and his enforcers traded fire from the upper landing.
"Moretti!" a voice screamed from behind a pillar. It was Vincent Vance’s lead hitman. "Give us the kids and we walk away! You can't protect them all!"
Victor walked out into the open courtyard of the foyer, completely ignoring the bullets chipping the marble pillar inches from his head. He raised his pistol, aimed with cold, mathematical precision, and fired through the stone pillar, hitting the hitman squarely in the shoulder.
The man shrieked, dropping his weapon and collapsing to the floor.
The remaining two mercenaries threw down their guns, raising their hands in absolute, pathetic surrender as Marco’s men swarmed down the stairs and zip-tied their wrists.
The gunfire stopped. The mansion fell dead silent, save for the sound of rain drumming against the glass roof.
Victor lowered his pistol, the barrel smoking in the cool night air. His suit jacket was torn at the shoulder, a shallow graze bleeding slowly down his forearm, but he didn't feel it.
He looked up toward the grand staircase.
Olivia stood at the top landing, clutching a blanket around her shoulders. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with shock as she looked down at the bodies scattered across the marble floor.
When she saw Victor standing unharmed amidst the carnage, her knees nearly buckled. She hurried down the stairs, rushing to his side, her hands trembling as she grabbed his uninjured arm.
"Victor! Are you hurt? Are the kids—"
"The children are asleep," Victor interrupted, his voice instantly softening the moment he looked at her. The terrifying mafia boss melted away, leaving only a man who had just torn apart an army to protect his family. "They didn't hear a thing."
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Olivia stared up at him, tears finally spilling over her lashes. "You could have been killed..."
"Nobody kills me," Victor murmured, a faint, rare smile touching the corner of his lips. He reached up, gently wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Not when I finally have everything I've ever fought for right here under one roof."
