LOGINThe curtain fell completely still.Whoever had been watching from the high tower was gone.Lorenzo’s eyes never left the arched monastery window. "Gabriel.""Boss?""Seal the east wing. No one enters. No one leaves."Gabriel immediately relayed the command through his tactical radio. Within seconds, Shadow Wolves spread rapidly through the stone halls, locking down every corridor, staircase, and exit.Matteo looked up at the quiet tower. "If our mystery guest is still inside... they're trapped like a rat."Lorenzo shook his head slowly. "No. They wanted us to see them. They're already somewhere else."Lorrie turned toward Adrian, her voice urgent. "You said a woman helped you escape."He nodded, wincing as he shifted his weight. "She risked her life to pull me out of those chains.""What did she look like?"Adrian closed his eyes, trying to piece together the blurry memory. "She was tall. Calm. She moved like she’d been professionally trained. And her eyes..." He hesitated."What abou
The war room was silent.Gabriel's phone still rested on the table, its screen dark, but his last words echoed through everyone's minds.> *“Adrian escaped... with a woman carrying the royal crest of Arden.”*> The elderly Queen slowly lowered herself into a nearby chair. Her hands, usually so steady, trembled violently against her wooden walking cane."No..." she whispered. "It can't be."Lorenzo watched her carefully, his gray eyes piercing. "You know who she is."It wasn't a question.The Queen closed her eyes, letting out a heavy, shuddering breath. "There was once a lady-in-waiting named Clara. Elena trusted her with everything. She wasn't just a servant... she was family."Lorrie frowned, stepping forward. "Then why was everyone told she died?"The Queen looked away toward the high arched windows. "Because after the palace massacre... she vanished without a trace. For twenty-eight years, we believed she was buried under the rubble."Matteo folded his arms, leaning against the ta
The dining hall fell into a stunned, absolute silence. Everyone stared at the bright display of the photograph on Lorenzo's phone.Adrian Moretti sat bound tightly to a cold metal chair, dark blood staining the crisp collar of his white shirt. His usually confident, easygoing expression was entirely gone, replaced by deep lines of exhaustion and pain.Beneath the image, a small digital indicator flickered.> **LIVE**> Matteo frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he processed the sight. "So... if Adrian is tied up in a basement somewhere...""...he couldn't have been flying surveillance drones around the monastery grounds," Gabriel finished softly.Gabriel nodded, tapping his tablet. "The cufflink was planted. It was a setup from the start."Lorenzo looked at the screen for another heavy moment before placing the phone face-down on the wooden table. "Dante wants us chasing the wrong man. He wants us hunting ghosts while he sets the next trap."Lorrie folded her arms, her eyes f
The monastery bell echoed hollowly through the evening air.Lorenzo kept his gaze fixed on the highest tower, but the dark figure was already gone.Matteo immediately drew his pistol, his thumb slipping off the safety. "I'll check the tower.""No," Lorenzo stopped him, holding out an arm. "If someone wanted to be caught... they wouldn't have let us see them."Gabriel nodded in agreement. "It's another distraction."Lorrie looked down at the black envelope still resting in Lorenzo's hand. "Open it."He carefully unfolded the heavy cardstock. Inside was a single printed sentence:> *Trust is easier to destroy than love.*> Matteo frowned, leaning in to look. "That's it?"Gabriel inspected the paper over Lorenzo's shoulder. "No fingerprints. No handwriting we can identify."Lorenzo folded the paper back into a neat square. "Dante isn't threatening us. He's testing us."The group returned to the monastery building in heavy silence.As they walked through the grand archway of the courtyard
The transmission ended. Silence swept through the monastery. No one moved. No one even breathed.Lorenzo slowly looked around the war room. The Chancellor's final words echoed in everyone's mind:> *"...the person you're looking for is already inside the monastery."*> Matteo broke the silence. "Well... that's comforting."Gabriel immediately shut down every digital communication channel. "I've sealed the network. No outgoing calls, no incoming signals. If there's a spy... they're trapped in here with us."Lorenzo nodded, his gaze turning to iron. "Lock down the monastery. No one enters. No one leaves."Within minutes, the ancient stone monastery became an impenetrable fortress. Shadow Wolves guarded every hallway, keeping watch over every servant, guest, and soldier. Even the Royal Guards surrendered their sidearms before being cleared inside.Victor Hale didn't complain. "If there truly is a traitor... none of us are above suspicion."Lorenzo appreciated the discipline in that answe
Silence gripped the monastery.The television screen faded to black, leaving a cold, heavy stillness in the room. No one dared to speak.The timer in everyone's mind continued counting down.*Twenty-four hours.*Twenty-four hours before innocent lives would begin to disappear.Lorrie slowly released Lorenzo's hand. "I have to go."His head turned sharply toward her. "No.""If I surrender—""No.""Lorenzo, listen to me.""I said no."His voice wasn't loud. It was calm—the kind of absolute, immovable calm that frightened everyone who knew him.Matteo stepped cautiously between them. "Boss..."Lorenzo raised one hand, cutting him off completely. "Everyone out."No one argued. Within seconds, the war room emptied as guards and staff filed out quietly. Only Lorenzo and Lorrie remained.For several intense moments, neither spoke. Finally, Lorrie broke the silence."I can't let innocent people die."Lorenzo stared at her, his jaw set like stone. "And I can't let you.""They're someone's chil







