Chapter 3 - The Descent into Darkness
The hidden passage was pitch black, smelling of damp stone and decades of secrets.
Silas led the way, his hand trailing along the cold brick wall as they descended a spiral staircase.
“You built a fortress with escape routes you never told your own family about,” Nadia whispered from behind him.
“In my business, the people closest to you are usually the ones holding the knife,” Silas replied bitterly.
His heart still ached from the revelation about Elena, but he forced the emotion down into a dark, locked box.
“How many men did Julian bring?” Silas asked, pausing to check the magazine of his weapon.
“At least thirty,” Nadia answered, her breathing steady despite the chaos above them.
“They are heavily armed, wearing tactical gear, and they have the blueprints to the upper floors.”
“But they don’t have the blueprints to the catacombs,” Silas noted with a grim smile.
The estate had been built over an old prohibition-era smuggling tunnel network.
Silas had spent millions upgrading it into an impenetrable bunker system.
They reached the bottom of the stairs, stepping into a dimly lit concrete corridor.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook violently, sending dust raining down from the ceiling.
A muffled explosion echoed through the thick walls.
“They are blowing the safes,” Silas muttered, his jaw clenched in pure anger.
“Let them have the gold; we need to reach the armory before they figure out where this tunnel leads.”
Nadia nodded, moving with the trained grace of an elite syndicate enforcer.
“You move well for a housekeeper,” Silas noted, watching her check corners with professional precision.
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“I scrubbed your floors for four years, Silas. It takes a lot of discipline not to poison your coffee,” she shot back.
For the first time that night, Silas actually let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
