Chapter 6 - The Siege on the Estate
Two nights later, the storm that had been brewing over the city finally broke.
A torrential downpour battered the mansion windows, accompanied by deafening cracks of thunder that shook the stone foundations of the estate.
It was 2:00 AM.
Ivy sat on the window sill in Carmine’s private sitting room, wrapped in a plush robe, watching the lightning illuminate the dark, rain-soaked woods outside. She couldn't sleep. The anxiety of the upcoming conflict hung heavy over her mind.
Suddenly, the lights inside the suite flickered violently—and went completely dark.
The soft hum of the mansion's air conditioning sputtered and died. The emergency backup generators didn't kick in.
Ivy stood up instantly, her heart slamming against her ribs.
From somewhere deep within the lower levels of the house, a muffled sound echoed through the floors.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Suppressed gunfire.
Before Ivy could make a move, the door to Carmine’s master bedroom swung open.
Carmine stepped into the sitting room, dressed in black tactical trousers and a dark shirt. In his right hand, he held a sleek black semi-automatic pistol. In his left, he held a tactical flashlight.
"Carmine!" she gasped in the dark.
"Stay down!" Carmine commanded, rushing to her side and pulling her away from the windows. "They cut the main power lines at the perimeter gate. Moretti’s men are inside the house."
"How did they get past the guards?!" Ivy panicked as another burst of distant gunfire echoed from the staircase.
"Someone opened the side service entrance from the inside," Carmine growled, his jaw setting into a terrifying line of rage. "We have a mole."
He grabbed her arm, guiding her quickly toward a hidden panel in the walnut wall behind his bookshelf. He pressed a secret lever, and a heavy steel door slid open silently, revealing a small, secure panic room equipped with monitors and emergency supplies.
"Get inside, Ivy," Carmine ordered, pushing her gently toward the safe space.
"No!" she cried, grabbing his jacket sleeve. "Come with me! Lock the door!"
"I have to clear my house," Carmine said, his dark eyes fixing on hers with fierce intensity. "Dominic and my men are fighting downstairs. I do not hide while my people bleed for me."
He reached into his tactical vest, pulled out a small, compact revolver, and pressed it into her trembling hands.
"If that steel door opens and it isn't me or Dominic," Carmine said, his voice deadly serious, "you pull this trigger until it stops clicking. Do you understand me?"
Tears streamed down Ivy’s cheeks as she looked at the cold black metal of the gun in her hands. "Please come back to me," she whispered.
Carmine leaned down, his warm hand cupping the back of her head. He pulled her close and pressed a firm, lingering kiss to her forehead.
"Always," he whispered against her skin.
He pushed her inside the steel room, grabbed the heavy handle, and pulled the door shut.
Clack.
Ivy was left in absolute darkness, surrounded by the cold steel walls of the safe room.
She dropped to her knees, clutching the small revolver against her chest, listening to the muffled sounds of chaos, gunfire, and shouting echoing through the bones of the grand estate.
Minutes dragged on like agonizing centuries.
She watched the dark security monitors on the wall flick to life as the panic room's independent battery power engaged.
On the screen displaying the main hall, she saw dark figures moving through the shadows, muzzle flashes lighting up the darkness. She saw Carmine moving like a phantom through his own home, precise, ruthless, and terrifying, taking down intruders with cold efficiency alongside Dominic.
Suddenly, on the camera monitoring the corridor right outside Carmine’s private suite, she saw a figure moving slowly down the hall.
It wasn't an outside hitman.
It was one of Carmine’s senior lieutenants—a man named Vincent, who had been standing guard in the dining room during the sit-down with Moretti.
Vincent held a silenced pistol, checking the doors carefully as he approached Carmine’s private quarters. He knew about the safe room. He knew where Carmine would hide her.
Ivy’s breath caught in her throat. The mole wasn't a low-level guard. It was one of Carmine’s most trusted men.
Vincent stopped right outside the hidden door panel. He pulled a specialized electronic override device from his pocket and pressed it against the steel frame.
Red lights on the internal lock panel began to flash yellow.
30 seconds to bypass.
Ivy backed away from the door, rising to her feet. Her hands were shaking violently, but as she looked at the flickering screens, she remembered Carmine’s words: You are with me.
She lifted the small revolver, aiming it directly at the center of the steel door.
The yellow lights turned green.
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Click.
The heavy steel door slid open.
