Chapter 5 - The Siege of the Estate
There was no time to panic.
Damiano pulled his satellite phone and pressed a speed dial. "Enzo. Code Red. Renato is the traitor. He’s opened the eastern drainage tunnel for the Bellandi syndicate. Lock down the estate now."
On the other end, Enzo didn't ask questions. "Copy that, Boss. Moving to defensive positions."
Damiano picked up Lily, holding her securely against his chest, and hurried down the private back staircase toward the servants' quarters. He found Isabel pacing in her room, frantic after waking up and finding Lily missing.
"Damiano!" Isabel gasped, running forward. "Lily! Oh God, I'm so sorry—"
"Isabel, listen to me very carefully," Damiano said, his voice laced with absolute command. "The house is under attack. Take Lily and follow me to the lower bunker right now."
Isabel’s eyes widened with terror, but seeing the calm, unyielding steel in Damiano’s gaze, she nodded instantly, grabbing her daughter.
Damiano led them deep into the basement, opening a heavy, reinforced steel blast door hidden behind a wine rack—the old war bunker built by his father.
"Stay inside," Damiano instructed, pushing a heavy keycard into Isabel's hand. "Do not open this door for anyone except me or Enzo."
"Damiano... please be careful," Isabel whispered, her hand brushing his arm with genuine concern.
Damiano looked at her, then down at Lily, who waved her little hand. "Be careful, sleeping man."
"I will," Damiano promised.
He closed the heavy vault door and engaged the electronic locks. The moment the steel clicked into place, the soft, gentle man vanished.
The feared mafia boss of the Hudson Valley turned around, pulling two high-caliber sidearms from his belt, his eyes ablaze with cold, lethal fury.
Above him, the sound of shattered glass and heavy gunfire erupted through the grand foyer.
The Bellandi strike team had breached the east wing. Renato Salvi stood near the grand staircase, holding a silenced pistol, a cold smirk on his face as his hired assassins fanned out across the marble floors.
"Search the house!" Renato commanded his men. "Find Damiano and bring me his head!"
"You won't have to search very far, Renato," a voice thundered from the upper balcony.
Renato whipped around, his face draining of all color.
Damiano stood at the top of the marble staircase, bathed in the shadows, his weapons raised.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The battle of the Vitale estate was swift, ruthless, and absolute. Assisted by Enzo and his elite guards, Damiano rained destruction down upon the invaders. Within fifteen minutes, the Bellandi strike team was entirely eliminated, their bodies littering the grand foyer.
Renato tried to crawl toward the broken front doors, his leg wounded, trembling in pure terror.
Damiano walked slowly down the marble steps, his heavy leather shoes clicking against the blood-stained floor. He stood over his former advisor, looking down at him with cold, empty eyes.
"Why, Renato?" Damiano asked quietly. "My father gave you everything. I gave you everything."
"Your father... was a fool," Renato gasped, clutching his leg. "And so are you! You were soft, Damiano! You spent your life hiding behind these walls!"
"I spent my life protecting this family," Damiano replied softly.
He pulled his father's silver pocket watch from his pocket, opened it, and let the ticking sound fill the air between them.
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"Your time is up, Renato."
A single shot echoed through the mansion.
