Chapter 18 - The Unseen Shadow
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Dante opened the message, his brow furrowing in confusion.
Carmine was just a middleman, Dante. The real buyer still wants the ports. And we know about the little girl.
Dante’s blood turned instantly to ice. He stared at the glowing screen, the words burning into his retinas. He tried to call the number back, but the line was completely dead. Disconnected. Untraceable.
"What is it?" Matteo asked, noticing the sudden, terrifying shift in his brother’s demeanor.
Dante showed him the screen. Matteo’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he processed the threat.
"Carmine wasn't working alone," Matteo deduced grimly. "He must have allied with an international cartel to fund the coup. Someone with enough power to remain hidden while he took the fall."
"They know about Mia," Dante whispered, his hands shaking with a violent, protective rage. "They know she’s my weakness."
"Then we make sure she isn't," Matteo stated firmly. "We lock down the Tower. We fortify our borders. We hunt the ghost before it can materialize."
When they arrived at the penthouse, Dante didn't mention the text. He walked through the doors and immediately pulled Elina into a fierce, desperate embrace, kissing her deeply, terrified that the happiness he had just secured was already slipping through his fingers.
"You're safe," Dante murmured into her hair, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. "I will never let anything happen to you."
Elina pulled back, looking into his eyes. She saw the shadows lingering there, the unspoken fear that contradicted his reassuring words. She reached up, gently touching his cheek.
"Dante," Elina said softly. "What aren't you telling me?"
Dante looked at the woman who had brought light into his dark world. He couldn't lie to her. Not anymore.
"The war isn't over, Elina," Dante confessed, his voice breaking. "Someone else is coming for us. Someone worse than Carmine."
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Elina didn't cry. She didn't panic. The maid who had cowered in the shadows of the estate months ago was gone. She was standing beside a mafia king, and she had learned how to fight.
"Then we prepare," Elina said, her voice turning to steel. She looked down at Mia, who was happily playing with a new doll on the rug. "We protect our family."
