Chapter 1 - The Mandate
Marco’s jaw tightened at his mother’s question. "You don't need to feign ignorance," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "You just need to be ready by midnight. Take only what is necessary."
Isabella turned her sharp, calculating gaze toward Lena, who stood silently by the mahogany dresser with a tray of vials. "Then she comes with us."
Marco froze. He slowly turned his head, his dark eyes locking onto Lena with a weight that felt like physical pressure. "No. The staff stays here under guard. We are moving to a secure bunker. It is no place for civilians."
"I am seventy-two years old and my lungs are failing, Marco," Isabella said coldly, her tone brook no rebellion. "I am not going to drown in my own fluids in a concrete bunker because you are too paranoid to bring my nurse. She knows the dosages. She knows my rhythm. She comes, or I stay in this bed and wait for the Russians myself."
Silence stretched in the room, thick and suffocating. Marco stepped toward Lena, his towering frame casting a long shadow over her. He smelled of rain, gunmetal, and expensive cologne.
"Do you know what happens if you get in a vehicle with me tonight?" he asked, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. "You cease to be a civilian. You become a target."
Lena looked past his broad chest to Isabella, who was watching her with steady confidence. Lena thought of her sister, Maya, safe in the clinic because of this job. She looked back up into Marco’s cold, assessing eyes.
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"I know how to pack a trauma kit, Mr. Duca," Lena said quietly. "And I don't scare easily."
A muscle twitched in his cheek. For the first time, he didn't look at her like a misplaced object. "Pack enough medical supplies for three days," he ordered, turning on his heel. "Be in the地下 garage in twenty minutes. If you are late, we leave without you."
