Chapter 5 - The Siege at the Harbor
The storm returned with a vengeance, masking the sound of approaching engines. Dominic’s security detail moved Clara and the twins down the back staircase of the inn just as two black sedans pulled up to the front entrance.
"Marco, execute defensive protocols," Dominic ordered into his earpiece, his voice calm, cold, and calculated. "Do not let them reach the family."
Gunfire erupted at the front of the inn, the sharp cracks of suppressed weapons echoing over the sound of the crashing waves. Clara screamed, covering Noah and Lily’s ears as Dominic escorted them toward a reinforced armored SUV parked in the alley.
Before they could reach the vehicle, a figure stepped out from the shadows of the pier. It was Elena. She wore a soaking wet trench coat, a small handgun trembling in her hand.
"Clara!" Elena shrieked over the wind. "You ruined everything! You were supposed to stay dead! I was supposed to be the queen of the Romano family!"
Clara stepped in front of her children, her eyes blazing with a mother's fury. "You lied to me, Elena! You stole my life, you stole my sister, and you tried to steal my children’s father!"
"He belongs to me!" Elena yelled, raising the gun.
Before she could pull the trigger, Dominic stepped between them. He didn't draw his weapon. He simply walked toward her, his presence so imposing, so terrifying, that Elena’s confidence completely dissolved.
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"Put the gun down, Elena," Dominic whispered, his voice carrying the authority of a man who ruled an empire. "If you breathe in their direction again, I will ensure you spend the rest of your short life wishing you had never been born."
Elena dropped to her knees in the wet gravel, sobbing hysterically as Dominic's men disarmed her and dragged her into the night.
