Chapter 5 - Shadows in the Snow
The peace of the Hawthorne estate was short-lived. While Victor Vale was locked away in a high-security federal facility awaiting trial, Serena Vale had managed to do something her father couldn't: she escaped. Two miles from the courthouse, a masked tactical group had ambushed the transport van, killing two guards and pulling Serena out of the wreckage.
Adrian sat in his war room, his face dark as Marcus pulled up the security footage of the escape on the main monitor.
"It wasn't a Vale crew, Adrian," Marcus said, pausing the video on the emblem of a black scorpion tattooed on the neck of one of the shooters. "It’s the Moretti syndicate from New York. They’ve been trying to break into the Midwest market for a decade. Serena didn't just run; she fled straight into the arms of Don Camillo Moretti. She gave him the access codes to our western shipping routes in exchange for sanctuary."
Adrian’s jaw clenched. "She’s desperate. A desperate Vale is a dangerous thing. Where are they now?"
"Our informants say they’ve set up a command post in an abandoned rail yard near Cicero," Marcus replied. "They’re gathering men, Adrian. They know your weakness now. They know about Lily."
Adrian stood up, his eyes flashing with a cold, primordial rage. "Increase the guard on the estate by double. Nobody enters or leaves without my personal biometric scan. Marcus, prepare the heavy teams. We are going to Cicero tonight. I want Camillo Moretti’s head on a plate before he can even think about touching my family."
In the eastern wing of the mansion, Lily was trying to adjust to her new reality. She no longer wore the black uniform; Emma had helped her choose a soft, cream-colored cashmere sweater and dark trousers from a local boutique. But the luxury felt foreign, almost suffocating.
She walked down to the kitchen to help Evelyn Price with the dinner preparation, out of pure habit.
"Oh, Miss Lily, you shouldn't be in here," Evelyn said, quickly wiping her hands on her apron, her face full of a new, nervous respect. "Mr. Hawthorne will have my head if he sees you doing dishes."
"Evelyn, please," Lily smiled gently, taking a wooden spoon from the older woman's hand. "I’ve been scrubbing these counters for nine months. A new sweater doesn't change who I am. Let me help with the soup."
Suddenly, the lights in the kitchen flickered once, twice, and then died completely.
The emergency backup generators didn't kick in. The deep, rhythmic wail of the mansion’s security sirens began to echo through the dark corridors—a Code Black alert.
"Evelyn, get under the island!" Lily shouted, her survival instincts kicking in instantly.
The heavy glass windows of the kitchen shattered inward as a tear gas canister tore through the room, filling the air with a blinding, white chemical smoke. Through the fog, Lily could hear the sharp, suppressed cracks of automatic weapons and the heavy thud of Hawthorne guards falling to the floor.
A hand reached out through the smoke, grabbing Lily by her hair.
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"Well, well," a cruel, familiar voice mocked through a tactical gas mask. "Look at the little princess in her expensive sweater."
It was Serena Vale.
