Chapter 10
Vittorio did not confront them.
Not yet.
That surprised Mauro.
“Boss.”
“They think Anna is missing.”
“Yes.”
“Let them panic.”
Mauro understood.
Panicked conspirators call people.
Celeste did.
At 11:54.
One outgoing call.
Blocked number.
Vittorio's security team traced the internal routing.
Not an outside line.
Estate extension.
Someone inside the mansion.
Mauro looked at the number.
“West security office.”
Vittorio’s expression hardened.
Captain Reese.
Head of west perimeter security.
Twelve years of service.
Trusted.
Celeste spoke first.
“She's gone.”
A male voice answered.
“What about the child?”
“Gone too.”
Pause.
“Then move early.”
Mauro looked at Vittorio.
Move early.
The caller continued.
“Cut power at fifty-seven.”
Three minutes before midnight.
Celeste said:
“Marco isn’t ready.”
The man laughed.
“He’s never ready.”
Celeste’s voice sharpened.
“You said he would sit at the head.”
The man replied:
“For tonight.”
Silence.
Vittorio’s eyes narrowed.
Celeste whispered:
“What does that mean?”
The caller didn’t answer.
Then the line went dead.
Mauro looked at Vittorio.
“Marco’s temporary.”
“Yes.”
Celeste didn’t know.
Marco definitely didn’t.
Another layer.
Vittorio stood.
Captain Reese was brought from west security quietly.
No alarm.
No radio.
When he entered the council room, he saw Vittorio.
Stopped.
That was enough.
Vittorio sat at the old east table.
“You moved the blackout to eleven fifty-seven.”
Reese said nothing.
“Why?”
“No idea what you're talking about.”
Vittorio looked at Mauro.
Mauro pressed play.
Reese heard his own voice.
His face changed.
Vittorio waited.
Reese smiled.
Slowly.
“So you know.”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Not fear.
Interesting.
“You expected to be caught?”
“Eventually.”
“Who sits at the head?”
Reese laughed.
“Marco thinks he does.”
“And Celeste?”
“Thinks she controls him.”
“And you?”
“I don’t care.”
Vittorio leaned forward.
“Who do you care about?”
Reese’s smile disappeared.
There.
A name mattered.
Vittorio waited.
Reese said nothing.
Mauro placed the Ferrara rings on the table.
“You planted these?”
“Yes.”
“Why Ferrara?”
“Because Vittorio hates obvious answers.”
Vittorio almost smiled.
“Wrong.”
Reese frowned.
“I hate answers that arrive too easily.”
Reese looked away.
Vittorio continued.
“You wanted me to suspect they were planted.”
Silence.
“Which means Ferrara isn't the target of the blame.”
Reese’s face tightened.
Mauro realized.
“The rings are double bait.”
Exactly.
Find them.
Reject them as obvious.
Then look inward.
Accuse relatives.
Split the house further.
The evidence wasn’t meant to solve anything.
It was meant to make Vittorio distrust everyone.
Reese leaned back.
“You always were good.”
“Who is better?”
Reese smiled.
There it was.
Pride.
Not his plan.
Someone else's.
“Who?”
No answer.
Vittorio looked at the clock.
11:56.
One minute.
He stood.
Reese laughed.
“You can stop the blackout.”
Vittorio looked back.
“That isn't the point.”
“What is?”
Reese smiled wider.
“The men coming through the east gate are already inside.”
Mauro swore.
Vittorio's hand went to his earpiece.
Before he could speak, every light in the mansion died.
Not at 11:57.
At 11:56.
Reese started laughing.
Then gunfire cracked once from the far east corridor.
Only once.
Followed by silence.
Emergency lighting flickered red along the floor.
Vittorio looked at Reese.
The captain had stopped laughing.
Because the timing was wrong.
May you like
Someone had changed the plan again.
And this time, even Reese hadn’t been told.
