The Man In the Shadow
1213 Words
Dante Moretti stood in the garden long after Serena had been taken inside.
Rainwater dripped from the leaves around him.
The estate was under lockdown.
Every gate had been sealed. Every guard had been armed. The security team was searching the property from the mansion to the outer wall.
Dante stared at the section of stone where the bullet had struck.
“Find it.”
His head of security, Marco Romano, crouched beside the wall.
“We're looking.”
“Don't look.”
Dante's voice was dangerously calm.
“Find the person who fired it.”
Marco nodded.
“Yes, boss.”
Dante turned toward the trees.
The shot had come from that direction.
The distance was too far for an amateur.
Whoever had fired the weapon knew exactly what they were doing.
And there was something else that bothered him.
The shooter hadn't been aiming at him.
The bullet had struck the wall beside Serena.
It had been aimed at her.
Dante's jaw tightened.
“Boss.”
Marco's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
He held up a small object.
A spent bullet casing.
Dante walked over.
He took it from Marco and examined it.
His expression hardened.
“It's military-grade.”
Marco nodded.
“That's what I thought.”
“Any footprints?”
“Two sets.”
Dante looked toward the trees.
“One belongs to Serena.”
“The other doesn't.”
Dante's eyes narrowed.
“Show me.”
They followed the trail.
Mud had collected around a set of deep boot prints.
The person had been standing behind the trees, waiting.
Waiting for Serena to escape.
Dante crouched.
He touched the ground.
Still wet.
Fresh.
“Whoever it was left less than ten minutes ago,” Marco said.
Dante stood.
“Then they're still close.”
Marco immediately signaled the guards.
“Search every inch of the property.”
Dante walked toward the trees.
His instincts screamed that something wasn't right.
The shooter had known Serena would attempt to escape.
That meant one of two things.
Someone had been watching the mansion.
Or someone inside the mansion had helped them.
He turned toward Marco.
“Check the security footage.”
“We already did.”
“And?”
Marco hesitated.
“The cameras around the east garden went offline for eleven minutes.”
Dante's eyes became ice cold.
“When?”
“Twenty minutes before the shooting.”
Silence.
Dante looked back at the mansion.
Someone had disabled the cameras.
Someone had known exactly where Serena would be.
Someone had known she would attempt to escape.
This wasn't random.
It was planned.
“Get me the footage from every camera before and after the blackout.”
Marco nodded.
“Right away.”
“And Marco?”
“Yes?”
“Don't tell anyone about the cameras.”
Marco understood immediately.
“You think we have a traitor.”
“I know we do.”
---
Inside the mansion, Serena sat on the edge of the bed.
Her hands were still trembling.
The image of the figure in the trees wouldn't leave her mind.
She hugged herself.
A knock sounded.
She expected Dante.
Instead, Alessia walked in.
“You're alive.”
Serena looked at her strangely.
“That's an interesting way to greet someone.”
Alessia closed the door.
“You should be dead.”
Serena froze.
“What?”
Alessia walked closer.
“Whoever fired that shot wasn't trying to scare you.”
“I know.”
“Then you understand how serious this is.”
Serena swallowed.
“Who wants me dead?”
Alessia didn't answer.
“Tell me.”
“I can't.”
“You know.”
Alessia's eyes flickered.
“That is precisely why you should be afraid.”
Before Serena could question her further, the door opened.
Dante entered.
His expression was unreadable.
“Leave us.”
Alessia hesitated.
Then she walked out.
Dante closed the door.
Serena looked at him.
“Did you find the shooter?”
“No.”
“Then what did you find?”
Dante stared at her.
“Someone disabled my security cameras before you escaped.”
Serena's stomach dropped.
“So they knew I was coming.”
“Yes.”
“Which means…”
“Someone inside this house may have helped them.”
Serena stood.
“Who?”
“I don't know yet.”
She stared at him.
For the first time, she saw something she hadn't expected to see in Dante Moretti.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered.
“Because you're in danger.”
“I was already in danger when you forced me to marry you.”
Dante stepped closer.
“You still don't understand.”
“Then explain it.”
His eyes held hers.
“The shooting wasn't an accident.”
“I know.”
“No.”
His voice dropped.
“They weren't trying to kill you because you're a Valenti.”
Serena's brow furrowed.
“Then why?”
Dante paused.
“Because of what you carry.”
Serena stared at him.
“What do I carry?”
Dante reached into his pocket and pulled out a small photograph.
He handed it to her.
Serena looked down.
Her breath caught.
It was an old photograph of her mother.
But her mother wasn't alone.
Standing beside her was a man Serena had never seen before.
And written on the back were four words.
The girl knows everything.
Serena's fingers went cold.
“What is this?”
Dante's expression darkened.
“That's what I'm trying to find out.”
She looked up.
“My mother never told me anything.”
“Maybe she didn't have the chance.”
“What are you saying?”
Dante stepped closer.
“Your mother disappeared three months before she died.”
Serena shook her head.
“No. She died in a car accident.”
“That's what your father told you.”
Her heart pounded.
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
Dante's gaze remained fixed on her.
“Your mother wasn't killed in an accident.”
Serena stopped breathing.
“She was murdered.”
The room went silent.
Tears filled Serena's eyes.
“My father said…”
“Your father lied.”
She looked at the photograph again.
The mysterious man beside her mother suddenly felt terrifyingly familiar.
“Who is he?”
Dante's face hardened.
“I don't know.”
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“What?”
Marco's voice came through.
“We found something.”
Dante's expression changed.
“What?”
“The security footage from before the cameras went down.”
“Who was there?”
A pause.
Then Marco spoke.
“Your sister.”
Dante went completely still.
His eyes slowly moved toward the door.
“Alessia?”
“Yes.”
Serena stared at him.
Dante ended the call.
For the first time since Serena had met him, he looked genuinely shaken.
Because if Alessia had been near the security room before the shooting…
Then she might know exactly who wanted Serena dead.
And Dante was about to discover that the greatest threat to his bride might be someone carrying the Moretti name.
Someone inside his own family.
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