Chapter 12: Someone Inside
1628 Words
Alessia’s POV
Silence fills the room.
I look at Dante.
He doesn’t move.
Neither does Matteo.
The missing guard sits across from us, his face pale.
Dante takes one step toward him.
“Say that again.”
The guard swallows.
“He wasn’t working alone.”
“Who was with him?”
“I don’t know.”
Dante’s eyes narrow.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I swear, Boss. I never saw his face.”
“Then how do you know he works for me?”
The guard looks down.
“He knew the estate.”
Dante waits.
“He knew which guards were on duty. He knew where the cameras were. He knew when the gates changed shifts.”
My stomach tightens.
Someone knew all of that.
Someone inside.
Dante’s voice turns cold.
“What exactly did he tell you to do?”
“Leave the east gate unlocked.”
“And you did?”
The guard nods.
“I thought it was just for someone to get inside. I didn’t know they were going to shoot anyone.”
Dante’s jaw tightens.
“Who gave you the order?”
“I don’t know.”
“Think.”
“I can’t.”
Dante steps closer.
The guard looks terrified.
“He wore a mask.”
“Anything else?”
The guard hesitates.
“There was another person.”
Everyone goes still.
Dante’s eyes narrow.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said there was another person.”
“I heard them talking.”
“What did they say?”
The guard closes his eyes.
“They were arguing.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Tell me what you heard.”
The guard looks at Dante.
“One of them said…”
He pauses.
“He’ll never know it was us.”
A chill runs through me.
Dante’s jaw tightens.
“Anything else?”
The guard shakes his head.
A loud crash comes from the hallway.
Everyone turns.
One of Dante’s men rushes into the room.
“Boss!”
Dante reaches for his weapon.
“What happened?”
“The guard watching the west entrance is missing.”
My stomach drops.
“Missing?”
“We found his weapon outside.”
Dante doesn’t hesitate.
“Lock the estate down.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Nobody leaves.”
The guard nods and runs.
Dante looks at Matteo.
“Find him.”
Matteo nods.
“Yes, Boss.”
He turns to leave.
“Take four men,” Dante adds.
“I can handle it.”
“I didn’t ask if you could.”
Matteo’s jaw tightens.
“Yes, Boss.”
He leaves.
I watch him disappear.
Dante turns toward me.
“You’re staying here.”
“No.”
His eyes narrow.
“Alessia.”
“I heard what he said.”
“This isn’t your problem to solve.”
“Someone inside your estate just helped people attack me.”
I step closer.
“It became my problem the moment they tried to kill me.”
Dante studies me.
Finally, he sighs.
“You stay beside me.”
“Fine.”
We leave the room.
* * *
Dante’s POV
The east corridor is empty.
My men spread out around us.
I look at the security cameras.
Three are still working.
Two are dead.
“When did these go down?”
A guard checks his watch.
“About ten minutes ago.”
The same time the guard disappeared.
I look at Matteo.
“Get the security logs.”
“Already doing it.”
He heads toward the security room.
Alessia follows me.
Inside, the screens show nothing but static.
Matteo sits at the computer.
His fingers move quickly across the keyboard.
“Someone deleted the footage.”
“Can you recover it?”
“I’m trying.”
I look at the screen.
“Who has access to this system?”
“Security staff.”
“Anyone else?”
“Senior staff.”
“Names.”
He gives them to me.
I know every one of them.
I look at the security logs.
Someone used an authorized code.
My stomach tightens.
“This wasn’t random.”
Matteo looks at me.
“No.”
“They knew where the cameras were.”
“Yes.”
“They knew the guard’s schedule.”
“Yes.”
“And they knew Alessia would be in the chapel.”
Silence.
Alessia looks at me.
“How?”
I don’t answer.
Someone had information about the wedding.
Someone knew exactly where she would be.
And that person is still inside my estate.
Alessia’s POV
I look around the security room.
Everyone is working.
Everyone looks nervous.
I can’t stop thinking about one thing.
Someone inside.
I look at Dante.
“How do you know it wasn’t one of your men?”
His eyes meet mine.
“I don’t.”
The answer shocks me.
“You don’t trust them?”
“I trust the men who have earned it.”
“And the others?”
“Right now, I trust no one.”
A loud sound comes from the hallway.
Everyone freezes.
Dante moves in front of me.
“Stay behind me.”
Footsteps approach.
A guard appears at the doorway.
“Boss!”
Dante looks at him.
“What?”
“We found the missing guard.”
My heart jumps.
“Where?”
“Near the old storage room.”
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
“Bring him here.”
The guard hesitates.
“There’s a problem.”
Dante looks at him.
“What?”
“He’s injured.”
“How badly?”
“He’s hurt, but he’s conscious. He can barely walk.”
The guard glances at me.
“But he keeps saying the same thing.”
“What?”
“He says he knows who helped the attackers.”
* * *
The guard is brought into the room minutes later.
Two men support him.
His shirt is torn, and his face is pale.
Dante walks toward him.
“Who attacked you?”
The guard shakes his head.
“I didn’t see them.”
“Then what do you know?”
The guard looks around the room.
His eyes stop on Matteo.
Just for a second.
Then he looks away.
Dante notices.
“Look at me.”
The guard raises his eyes.
“Who helped them?”
The guard opens his mouth.
Nothing comes out.
“Tell me.”
“I…”
His breathing becomes faster.
“I saw someone.”
“Who?”
The guard looks toward the door.
Then back at Dante.
“He works for you.”
My heart pounds.
Dante’s face goes still.
“Name.”
The guard shakes his head.
“I can’t.”
“You will.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
The guard’s eyes fill with fear.
“Because he’ll kill me.”
Dante’s voice drops.
“Who?”
The guard looks at him.
Then whispers:
“He was wearing the same ring.”
Dante frowns.
“What ring?”
“The silver one.”
A strange feeling runs through me.
Dante looks at his men.
“Search everyone.”
The room erupts into movement.
Men leave.
Doors slam.
Voices echo through the halls.
Matteo remains beside Dante.
I watch him.
His phone vibrates.
His hand goes into his pocket.
He checks the screen.
Something flickers across his face.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
He looks at me.
“Yes.”
“Who was it?”
“Nothing important.”
Dante looks at him.
Matteo puts the phone away.
“Go check the west entrance,” Dante says.
“Yes, Boss.”
He walks away.
I watch him disappear down the corridor.
For a moment, I wonder why he looked so tense.
Then I push the thought away.
Night falls over the estate.
I sit in my room, staring at the locked door.
I can’t sleep.
The attack.
The missing guards.
The stranger in the chapel.
Someone inside.
I keep thinking about it.
Then…
A soft sound comes from the hallway.
I sit up.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Careful.
They stop outside my door.
My heart pounds.
I don’t move.
The handle turns.
Once.
Twice.
Someone is trying to open the door.
I reach for the phone beside my bed.
The handle moves again.
Then stops.
Silence.
A few seconds pass.
Then I hear footsteps moving away.
I wait.
When I’m sure they’re gone, I get out of bed and open the door.
The hallway is empty.
But something is lying on the floor.
A small silver ring.
I pick it up.
My breath catches.
I’ve seen this before.
I just can’t remember where.
I turn the ring over.
A small symbol is engraved inside.
Then I hear a voice behind me.
“Alessia.”
I freeze.
I slowly turn.
Dante stands at the end of the hallway.
His eyes drop to the ring in my hand.
His expression changes.
He walks toward me.
“Where did you get that?”
“It was outside my door.”
He takes another step.
“Give it to me.”
“Why?”
“Alessia.”
His voice is urgent now.
I close my fingers around the ring.
“What is it?”
He stops.
For a moment, he says nothing.
Then his eyes move past me.
Toward my open bedroom door.
His hand goes to his weapon.
“Get behind me.”
My heart pounds.
“Why?”
He doesn’t answer.
A sound comes from inside my room.
A drawer slams inside my bedroom.
Dante steps in front of me.
Someone is inside.
He reaches for the door.
Then…
The lights go out.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD