Chapter 16 - The Gathering Storm|
Alessandro returned to the penthouse just as the sun dipped below the Manhattan skyline, casting the city in bloody hues of orange and red. The moment the elevator doors opened, I rushed into his arms, burying my face in his chest. He held me tightly, immediately sensing my distress.
"He called," I whispered, pulling back to look at his face. "Lorenzo called my personal cell phone. He asked about Emma."
Alessandro's expression darkened, an explosive fury radiating from him in invisible waves. He turned to Marco, who was standing at attention by the door. "How did he get her number? This entire network is supposed to be encrypted!"
"We're tracing the breach now, Boss," Marco said, his voice tight. "He used a ghost server routed through half a dozen countries. The man is well-funded. He’s not acting alone."
"He gave us twenty-four hours to surrender the territory," I added, my voice trembling despite my best efforts. "Alessandro, we can't stay here. If he can breach our communications, he can breach this building."
Alessandro paced the length of the room, running a hand over his face. He was calculating variables, weighing risks, shifting from a husband trying to comfort his wife into a general planning a defense.
"We are leaving," Alessandro announced suddenly, stopping in the center of the room. "We are moving to the Hamptons estate. It's isolated, defensible, and it has an underground bunker that Lorenzo doesn't know about."
"When?" I asked.
"Right now," he replied. "Marco, prep the helicopter. We bypass the streets entirely. I want a heavily armed perimeter set up around the Hamptons property before we even touch down."
"Yes, Boss." Marco immediately began speaking into his radio, moving toward the stairs leading to the roof access.
I hurried to Emma's room. She was sitting on her bed, packing her drawing supplies into a small backpack. She looked up at me with wide, understanding eyes.
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"Are the bad men coming back, Mommy?" she asked quietly.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing a brave smile. "No, baby. Daddy is making sure they never come back. But we're going on a sudden vacation."
