CHAPTER 4 The Enemy Inside #2
“Your father.”
“Dead.”
“Your mother.”
“Dead.”
“And Enzo.”
Dante’s expression changed.
Sofia felt it before she understood it.
His uncle.
The man receiving payments.
“Where is Enzo?”
Dante asked.
“We can’t find him.”
“You said he was abroad.”
“He was.”
“Was?”
“His flight landed here yesterday.”
Silence.
Dante set the water glass down carefully.
“He entered the country yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“And no one told me.”
“He used a private charter under a shell corporation.”
Sofia looked toward Matteo.
Yesterday.
Before Dante found her.
Before the photograph.
Before the estate breach.
“Do you think he knew?”
Dante looked at her.
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
Her stomach tightened.
Luca continued.
“We found another problem.”
Dante’s eyes narrowed.
“What now?”
“One of the household employees disappeared during lockdown.”
“Name.”
“Marina Conti.”
Sofia recognized it.
“The housekeeper?”
Dante looked at her.
“You remember her?”
“Yes. She worked here before the wedding.”
“For eighteen years.”
Sofia’s chest tightened.
Marina had brought her tea.
Helped repair a torn dress before an event.
Once secretly given Sofia a plate of food when she skipped dinner after arguing with her father.
She had been kind.
“No.”
Dante’s expression hardened.
“We don’t know what she did.”
“She wouldn’t hurt Matteo.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know her.”
Dante stared at her.
“Three years ago, you said the same thing about your father.”
The words hit.
Sofia fell silent.
He regretted it immediately.
She saw that too.
“You’re right.”
Her voice was quiet.
Dante’s jaw tightened.
“I didn’t mean—”
“You did.”
He exhaled.
For perhaps the first time in his life, Dante Moretti appeared to struggle with an apology.
“Sofia.”
She looked at him.
“I’m sorry.”
Silence.
Luca suddenly became very interested in his phone.
Sofia blinked.
“What?”
Dante’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t make me repeat it.”
Despite everything, she almost laughed.
“You apologized.”
“I am aware.”
“I don’t remember that ever happening before.”
“It happened once.”
“When?”
“You were wrong that time too.”
She smiled.
Dante stared.
Then Luca cleared his throat.
“Should I come back?”
“No,” Dante said.
“Yes,” Sofia said.
They looked at each other.
Luca sighed.
“Marina left through a service corridor twenty seconds before lockdown.”
“Vehicle?”
“None.”
“Foot?”
“Likely.”
“Track her.”
“We are.”
Dante turned toward the windows.
“Alive.”
Luca raised an eyebrow.
Dante noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Sofia smiled faintly.
“That’s twice today.”
Dante looked at her.
“Do not become irritating.”
“Too late.”
He almost smiled.
Luca’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“Where?”
Dante turned.
“What?”
Luca listened.
Then disconnected.
“We found Marina.”
Sofia stepped forward.
“Where?”
“North garden.”
Dante’s expression hardened.
“Bring her.”
Luca did not move.
“Can’t.”
Silence.
Sofia felt dread.
“Why?”
Luca looked at Dante.
“She’s dead.”
Sofia’s stomach dropped.
“How?”
“Knife wound.”
Dante’s eyes became black.
“Recently?”
“Within minutes.”
Sofia covered her mouth.
Marina.
Kind Marina.
Dead inside the estate.
Dante turned toward the guards.
“Seal the north wing.”
“Already done.”
“No one moves alone.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Find the weapon.”
“We are.”
Sofia looked at Matteo.
He was arranging toy cars in a line, completely unaware.
Her fear returned full force.
Someone inside the estate had killed a woman during lockdown.
Someone was still there.
Dante saw her face.
He crossed the room.
“You and Matteo stay here.”
“No.”
“Sofia.”
“I’m not hiding in a room while someone is murdering people downstairs.”
“That is exactly what you’re doing.”
“You need me.”
“For what?”
“I knew Marina.”
“So did half the staff.”
“I might notice something.”
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“Stop deciding for me.”
His expression hardened.
“This is not about control.”
“It always becomes control with you.”
“This is about keeping you alive.”
“I survived without you.”
His eyes flashed.
“And someone found you.”
The words struck harder now.
She hated that they were true.
Dante lowered his voice.
“Someone has access to this house.”
“I know.”
“Someone murdered an employee less than five minutes ago.”
“I know.”
“And someone has been tracking our son since before he was born.”
Sofia froze.
Our son.
Not mine.
Not yours.
Ours.
Dante stepped closer.
“Stay here.”
His tone changed.
Not command.
Request.
Almost.
“For Matteo.”
She looked at the boy.
Then back at Dante.
“Fine.”
His shoulders loosened slightly.
“But if you find anything—”
“I’ll tell you.”
“Everything.”
“Yes.”
“No protecting me from details.”
He hesitated.
“Dante.”
“Everything.”
She nodded.
He turned to leave.
Matteo noticed.
“Dante?”
He stopped immediately.
The boy held up the red car.
“You go?”
Dante looked at Sofia.
Then back at Matteo.
“For a little while.”
“Come back?”
The question changed him.
Sofia saw it.
A man who had spent his entire life making promises carefully looked at his son.
“Yes.”
“Promise?”
Dante’s face became still.
He crouched beside him.
“I promise.”
Matteo seemed satisfied.
“Okay.”
Dante stood.
Sofia followed him to the door.
When they were far enough from Matteo, she lowered her voice.
“Be careful.”
Dante looked at her.
The words had slipped out before she could stop them.
His gaze changed.
“You’re worried about me.”
“No.”
“That was quick.”
“I’m worried about Matteo.”
“Of course.”
“And if you get killed, explaining that would be complicated.”
Dante almost smiled.
“Touching.”
She rolled her eyes.
Then he moved closer.
Too close.
“Sofia.”
“What?”
“If something happens, lock that door.”
Her amusement disappeared.
“Dante.”
“Do not open it for anyone except me or Luca.”
“Okay.”
“Anyone.”
“I understand.”
His eyes held hers.
“No matter whose voice you hear.”
A chill moved over her skin.
“Why would you say that?”
Dante looked toward the hallway.
“Because someone used my dead mother’s credentials.”
Sofia swallowed.
“And?”
“And I don’t believe that was only practical.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was a message.”
“What message?”
Dante’s face hardened.
“That whoever is doing this knows my family.”
He walked away before she could ask more.
Sofia locked the door.
For the next twenty minutes, she tried to behave normally.
She built towers with Matteo.
He knocked them down.
She read half of a picture book.
He lost interest.
She checked her phone repeatedly.
No messages.
No Dante.
No Luca.
The silence became unbearable.
Then Matteo looked toward the hallway.
“Mama?”
“Yes?”
“Lady.”
Sofia froze.
“What lady?”
He pointed at the door.
“Lady outside.”
Her blood turned cold.
She heard nothing.
“Did you hear someone?”
Matteo nodded.
“Lady.”
Sofia stood.
She approached the door slowly.
Dante’s warning returned.
Do not open it for anyone.
She looked through the security screen beside the frame.
Empty hallway.
No one.
Her pulse raced.
Then she heard it.
A woman’s voice.
Soft.
Faint.
“Sofia?”
She stopped breathing.
The voice came from outside.
Familiar.
Impossible.
“Sofia, sweetheart.”
Her knees weakened.
No.
It could not be.
Matteo looked up.
“Lady.”
The voice came again.
“Sofia.”
Tears filled her eyes.
She had not heard that voice in three years.
Her mother.
“Sofia, open the door.”
She moved toward the lock instinctively.
Then Dante’s warning slammed into her mind.
No matter whose voice you hear.
Sofia stopped.
Her mother did not know she was here.
At least she should not.
“Mom?”
Silence.
Then:
“Please.”
Sofia’s hand hovered over the lock.
Something felt wrong.
Too perfect.
Too sudden.
She looked at the screen again.
Still empty.
“Where are you?”
No answer.
“Mom?”
The voice came from the other side of the door.
“I need you.”
Sofia’s heart broke.
Then Matteo spoke.
“Scary lady.”
She looked down.
“What?”
He pointed toward the wall near the door.
“Scary.”
Sofia followed his finger.
A small speaker grille.
Part of the house communication system.
The voice was not coming from the hallway.
It was coming through the speaker.
Someone had accessed the internal system.
Sofia stepped backward.
Her blood ran cold.
“Mom?”
The voice continued.
“Open the door.”
Sofia grabbed Matteo.
Immediately.
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Matteo screamed.
Sofia held him tightly.
“I’m here. I’m here.”
Emergency lights flickered red.
Then the speaker crackled.
The woman’s voice disappeared.
A man replaced it.
Distorted.
Calm.
“Subject S-17.”
Sofia stopped breathing.
The code from the file.
The voice continued.
“Your compliance was expected three years ago.”
She backed toward the far wall.
Matteo buried his face against her neck.
“What do you want?”
Static.
Then:
“The heir.”
Her entire body went cold.
“No.”
A soft laugh.
“The firstborn belongs to the design.”
“No!”
She shouted.
“You will never touch him.”
The voice became quieter.
“We already have.”
The speaker went dead.
Sofia stared at it.
Already.
What did that mean?
Then something slammed against the outer door.
She screamed.
“SOFIA!”
Dante.
She froze.
Another slam.
“Sofia, open the door!”
His voice.
Real?
Or another trick?
She remembered his warning.
No matter whose voice you hear.
“Dante?”
“Yes.”
“How do I know it’s you?”
Silence.
Then his answer came.
“The night in your bedroom before the wedding, you told me to stop looking at you because you couldn’t think when I did.”
Sofia’s face burned.
Even now.
Even terrified.
Only Dante knew that.
She unlocked the door.
He entered with two guards behind him.
The moment he saw her holding Matteo, something in his face broke.
He crossed the room in three strides.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Matteo?”
“He’s okay.”
Dante touched the boy’s head.
Then Sofia’s face.
His hands moved over her shoulders, arms, waist, checking.
She did not stop him.
“Dante.”
“What happened?”
“The speaker.”
His eyes shifted.
“What speaker?”
“Someone spoke through it.”
His face hardened.
“What did they say?”
Sofia looked at Matteo.
Dante understood.
He took them both toward the private bedroom.
Once the door closed, she told him.
Subject S-17.
Compliance.
The heir.
The firstborn belongs to the design.
We already have.
Dante listened without interruption.