Chapter 8 - The Ghost Returns
The morning brought a chilling reality check. Julian was in the command center of the safehouse, gearing up with his men, when the perimeter alarms flared.
Marcus rushed in. “It’s a single vehicle. No hostiles visible. The driver is asking for you, boss. And... he’s asking for Clara.”
Julian marched to the security monitors. Standing at the gate, looking ten years older and missing two fingers, was Carlo Bianchi. Clara’s father.
Clara entered the room, her face draining of color. “No,” she gasped. “He’s supposed to be in Europe.”
“Moretti brought him back,” Julian deduced instantly. “He’s using him as a bargaining chip.”
Julian grabbed a rifle and walked out to the reinforced gate. Clara followed closely behind, ignoring Marcus’s protests.
“Rossi!” Carlo shouted through the intercom. “Moretti has my debts. He says if I bring you my daughter, he wipes the slate clean!”
Julian laughed, a cold, terrifying sound. “You came to my home, to sell your own flesh and blood to my enemy? You’re a bolder fool than I remembered, Carlo.”
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“He has an army coming!” Carlo screamed. “Give her to me, or you all die!”
Clara stepped up to the microphone, her voice steady. “You stopped being my father the day you sold my mother’s jewelry for gambling money. Go to hell, Carlo.”
