Chapter 16 - The Trap is Set
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For the next forty-eight hours, the Rinaldi mansion became a fortress of deception.
To the outside world, Lorenzo Viti spread the word that Matteo was barely holding on, erratic, and deeply vulnerable. But inside the walls, Matteo was operating with lethal precision. From his wheelchair, he orchestrated everything. He moved money, called in favors from corrupt politicians, and repositioned his most loyal soldiers into strategic shadows around the city.
Elena became his absolute right hand. She didn't clean anymore. She filtered his calls, reviewed security footage, and managed the internal logistics of a brewing mafia war.
On the third night, a heavy thunderstorm slammed into the estate. The rain was torrential, washing the estate in darkness and loud thunder.
Matteo sat in his darkened study on the ground floor, staring at a bank of security monitors on his desk. Elena stood beside him, watching the black-and-white screens intently.
“Lorenzo took the bait,” Matteo said softly, pointing to a screen showing the western perimeter gate.
Three black, unmarked SUVs had just pulled up, killing their headlights. Armed men in tactical gear poured out, moving silently through the pouring rain, cutting the chains on the outer gate.
“Moretti hit squad,” Elena noted, her voice steady, though Matteo noticed her hands clench into tight fists.
“They think my guards have been bought off by Lorenzo,” Matteo said, a cruel, predatory smile spreading across his face. “They think they’re walking into an empty house.”
He reached forward and keyed a microphone connected to his internal security team, completely bypassing Lorenzo’s men.
“Let them breach the front doors,” Matteo ordered his loyalists. “Do not engage until they are in the foyer. Then, box them in.”
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Matteo turned off his monitors, plunging the study into total darkness. He pulled his 9mm pistol from his holster, checking the chamber in the dark by touch alone.
“Stay behind me,” Matteo told Elena.
