Chapter 4 - The Betrayal's Depth
They emerged from the hidden tunnel into the estate’s massive underground wine cellar.
Rows of vintage bottles stretched out in the dim light, casting long, eerie shadows across the stone floor.
Silas motioned for Nadia to stay low as they navigated through the wooden racks.
Suddenly, he heard a sound that made his blood freeze in his veins.
It was a woman’s voice, soft, panicked, and echoing from the far side of the cellar.
“Julian, please, you promised me we would leave the city tonight!”
Silas crept closer to the edge of the racks, peering through the gaps between the dusty bottles.
Elena stood there, clutching a diamond necklace, wearing a silk travel coat.
She looked beautiful, terrified, and undeniably guilty.
Julian stepped into the light, wiping a streak of blood from his cheek.
“The plan changed, Elena,” Julian snapped, pacing back and forth furiously.
“The old man is in the walls, and he has the Castellano spy with him.”
Elena gasped, dropping her designer travel bag to the floor.
“You said he would be dealt with at the docks! You promised me I wouldn't have to see him die!” she cried.
Silas felt a physical pain in his chest, sharper than any bullet he had ever taken.
She hadn't just known about the hit; she had orchestrated her own escape around his murder.
Nadia placed a gentle, grounding hand on Silas’s shoulder, a silent gesture of solidarity.
“Do you want me to take the shot?” Nadia whispered, her gun aimed directly at Julian’s head.
May you like
“No,” Silas replied, his voice devoid of all warmth and humanity.
“They need to know the king is still breathing before I burn their new kingdom down.”
