Chapter 6 - The Whispers in the Dark
The rain returned by dusk, hammering against the leaded glass windows of the Rinaldi mansion like an army of ghosts trying to get inside.
Upstairs in the private family wing, the heavy oak doors were bolted from the inside. I sat on the carpeted floor of the playroom with the boys, building an impossibly tall tower out of wooden blocks while a classic movie played softly on the television.
For the most part, the boys were quiet, picking up on the tense, heavy atmosphere vibrating through the walls of the estate. Downstairs, muffled voices echoed through the ventilation shafts—men speaking in low, clipped Italian, negotiating lines of territory, money, and power.
"They're talking about the docks," Marco whispered, leaning closer to me as he placed a block on the tower. "Whenever Uncle Paul comes with men like that, dad stays in his study until midnight with his gun on the desk."
I gently placed a hand on Marco's shoulder. "Your father knows how to handle his business, Marco. Your job right now is to stay right here with your brothers."
Suddenly, the soft hum of the television cut out.
The overhead lights flickered once, twice, and then died entirely, plunging the sprawling playroom into absolute, velvety darkness.
The boys gasped. Leo instantly scrambled across the rug and buried his face in my side, trembling.
"A power surge," Nico muttered, his voice cracking slightly. "Or... or someone cut the main breaker."
"Stay behind me," I whispered sharply, my heart hammering against my ribs. I reached into my pocket, pulling out my phone and turning on the flashlight beam, casting a harsh white circle across the carpet.
That was when we heard it.
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A heavy, metallic click coming from the hallway outside the master family wing.
Someone was trying to pick the biometric lock on the reinforced double doors.
