Chapter 5 - The Trap is Set
By midnight, the mansion was buzzing with quiet, hidden activity.
Alessandro had summoned Matteo and his inner circle of four trusted lieutenants into his private study. Through the open door of the east wing suite, I could hear the low hum of their serious voices.
Alessandro stood behind his massive oak desk, the yellow laundry receipt pinned under a heavy crystal paperweight.
“We have a traitor in the upper floor staff,” Alessandro told his men, his eyes icy. “Only three people have keys to my master dressing room: Mrs. Gable, who has already been dismissed and searched; Julian, my personal valet; and Marcus, the chief butler.”
“Julian has worked for you for eight years, Don Alessandro,” Matteo pointed out carefully. “Marcus served your father.”
“I don't care about their history, Matteo,” Alessandro replied coldly. “I care about who put this paper in my pocket. Tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m., the driver from Vito’s Laundry will arrive at the side gate to pick up the morning linens, just as he does every Thursday.”
“We intercept him?” Matteo asked, his hand drifting toward his holster.
“No,” Alessandro instructed, a ruthless smile playing on his lips. “We let him take the laundry bag. But inside that bag, instead of the real codes, we will place modified coordinates. Coordinates that lead straight into a blind alley near the abandoned rail yards in Queens.”
“A kill box,” Matteo nodded instantly, understanding the strategy. “If the Morello family shows up at those coordinates expecting an easy score, we’ll know the leak came from inside this house.”
“And once the trap springs,” Alessandro added, leaning over his desk, “we secure the house and arrest whoever made the drop.”
He paused, his eyes drifting toward the hallway leading to the east wing where Emma and I were staying.
“And Matteo?”
“Yes, Don Alessandro?”
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“Move four extra armed guards to the east wing corridor. If a single hair on Clara or Emma’s head is harmed during this operation, I will hold you personally responsible.”
“Understood, Boss,” Matteo bowed deeply. “They will be protected with our lives.”
