Chapter 6 - The Unraveling
The next morning broke with a heavy fog rolling in off the harbor, blanketing the Moretti estate in a thick shroud of white mist.
I was feeling much stronger. The fever was gone, and Sofia had brought me a clean silk robe and a hot breakfast of poached eggs, fresh fruit, and coffee. Emma was sitting on the plush rug, playing with a set of wooden building blocks that Alessandro had personally instructed the staff to bring up from the storage rooms.
At 7:45 a.m., a soft knock sounded at the door.
Alessandro stepped inside, dressed in a sharp black suit and a dark overcoat. He looked rested, focused, and utterly lethal.
“Good morning, Clara,” he said politely, inclination his head toward me. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better, Mr. Moretti,” I answered, rising from the breakfast table. “I don't know how to thank you for everything.”
“You don't need to,” he said, walking over to Emma and crouching down to her level. “Good morning, little washerwoman.”
Emma giggled, holding up a wooden block. “Look, Mr. Wolf! I built a castle!”
“It’s a very strong castle,” Alessandro praised her softly, gently touching her curls. Then he stood up and turned to me, his expression becoming serious.
“The trap is set,” he said low. “The laundry truck just entered the main gate. Within two hours, we will know who the traitor is.”
Just as he spoke those words, the door to the suite burst open!
It was Sofia, her face pale as snow, her hands shaking violently.
“Don Alessandro!” she gasped, clutching her chest. “It’s Julian… Julian the valet! He just took the laundry hamper from the master bedroom, but he didn't give it to the delivery driver! He took a small black bag and ran toward the garden cottage!”
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Alessandro’s eyes flared with sudden, dangerous fire.
“He’s trying to destroy the evidence,” Alessandro hissed, pulling a silver pistol from beneath his overcoat. “Matteo! Lock down the perimeter!”
