Chapter 15 - The Phantom Call|
The morning dragged into a suffocating afternoon. Emma was happily occupied in the media room, watching animated movies while I paced the length of the living room. Every shadow stretching across the floor seemed sinister. Every rattle of the wind against the reinforced glass felt like a breach.
Marco stood near the front entrance, a silent, imposing sentinel. His radio crackled periodically with brief, coded check-ins from the men stationed on the street level.
Suddenly, the landline on the console table rang.
It was a sharp, jarring sound. The penthouse landline was an unlisted, secure number. Only Alessandro, Marco, and a handful of trusted associates even knew it existed. I froze, my eyes darting to Marco.
"Don't answer it," Marco commanded, stepping forward and reaching for the receiver.
Before he could touch it, the phone stopped ringing. A moment later, my personal cell phone buzzed in my pocket. The caller ID was restricted. My breath hitched in my throat. I looked at Marco, who gave a grim nod, gesturing for me to put it on speaker.
I accepted the call and pressed the speaker button. "Hello?"
"Such a beautiful voice," a raspy, heavily accented voice murmured through the speaker. It sent a chill straight down my spine. "You must be the girl who spoke."
"Who is this?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.
"I am the ghost of the Moretti legacy," the man replied, a dark chuckle accompanying his words. "Alessandro has built a very tall tower, but even the tallest towers can crumble if you strike the foundation. How is little Emma doing today?"
My heart stopped. "If you come near my daughter, you will beg for death."
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"Brave words for a woman trapped in a glass cage," Lorenzo taunted. "Tell my dear nephew that he has exactly twenty-four hours to surrender his territory and his title. If he refuses, I will take everything he loves. Tick-tock, little bird."
The line went dead. I stared at the phone, my hands shaking uncontrollably, as Marco immediately began barking orders into his radio to trace the signal.
