Chapter 4 - THE VIPER'S NEST
The tranquility shattered on a Tuesday afternoon. Lucas had left for Manhattan to finalize a hostile takeover that would bankrupt the shadow syndicate hunting him. I was in the sunroom, Elara napping in a bassinet nearby, when the security feeds on the wall suddenly flickered and went black.
The silence that followed was entirely wrong. The subtle hum of the estate's automated defenses died. I grabbed the baby, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. A shadow moved across the frosted glass of the hallway doors.
"Nora!" It was Elias, Lucas's head of security, his voice urgent but strangely strained. He stepped into the room, blood seeping from a wound on his shoulder. "We have a breach. The perimeter is compromised. You need to come with me to the panic room."
May you like
I took a step toward him, but a terrifying instinct flared to life. Elias held his weapon aimed slightly too high, and his eyes were completely devoid of panic. He wasn't a protector. He was the mole.
I didn't hesitate. I threw a heavy brass lamp directly at his face, spun on my heel, and sprinted in the opposite direction, clutching Elara to my chest as a suppressed gunshot shattered the glass behind me.
