All Chapters of Enemies At The Altar : Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

Moretti's fingers rested on the white knight. His smile widened. "The king is busy defending his kingdom." "Which leaves the queen..." "...all alone." Sunlight filtered through the windows of the Romano war room. The air smelled of coffee and exhaustion. Mark had barely slept. The attacks had slowed, but the damage reports continued to arrive. Marco stood beside the map. "We lost nearly fifteen percent of this week's revenue." Valentina added another report. "Our insurance companies are asking questions." Luca tossed a folder onto the table. "And three neutral families have cancelled meetings with us." "They're afraid of being caught in the middle." Mark rubbed his temples. "They're waiting to see who survives." Mia studied the reports in silence. Then she looked at the map. "They're not afraid of us." Everyone turned toward her. "They're afraid of choosing the wrong side." Mark looked at her. "What are you suggesting?" She walked to the centre of the room. "

"The next move will strike directly at the heart of the Romano family." Those words lingered over the mansion like a storm cloud. The failed poisoning changed everything. Security was doubled. Every servant was investigated. Every meal was tested before it reached Mark or Mia. The Romano estate, once a home, had become a fortress. Three nights later, Mark stood alone in Don Romano's old office. The room was dark except for the desk lamp. Stacks of reports covered the polished oak desk. Attack summaries. Financial losses. Intelligence files. Casualty lists. Every page carried the weight of another difficult decision. Mark picked up the latest report. Three soldiers had died protecting a warehouse. Two civilians had been caught in the crossfire during Moretti's attacks. A young guard had lost a leg defending a convoy. He closed the file slowly. The silence in the office was almost unbearable. His eyes drifted to the portrait of Don Romano hanging on the wall. The o

He had no idea that, across the city, Mark had already found a way to make him bleed first. The discovery came at 3:17 a.m. Carlo was still awake in the intelligence room when a financial transfer appeared on his screen. He frowned. The amount was enormous. But the account wasn't registered to Moretti. It belonged to a harmless-looking import company. Carlo checked the company records. Nothing unusual. Then he checked the owners. Three names. All deceased. His eyes narrowed. "That's impossible." He ran the company through another database. The same names appeared on six other businesses. Six companies. Different industries. Different cities. Same dead owners. Carlo sat forward. "Shell companies." He immediately called Mark. Ten minutes later, Mark entered the intelligence room. Mia followed behind him. "What did you find?" Carlo turned the screen toward them. "Moretti's money." Mark studied the accounts. "How much?" "Enough to finance an army." Mia leane

The black car disappeared into the night. Inside the ballroom, the music continued. But the war had already moved closer. The next morning, Mia woke to the sound of her phone ringing. She reached for it before Mark could answer. "Hello?" Silence. Then a frightened voice. "Lady Romano..." Mia sat upright. "Who is this?" "My name is Elena. I work at the Saint Aurelia Community Center." Mia recognized the name. It was one of the centers receiving funding from the charity gala. "What happened?" The woman's breathing trembled. "They've taken everyone hostage." Mia's heart stopped. "How many?" "Twenty-seven." "Children?" "Eleven." Mia immediately got out of bed. "Where's the police?" "We can't call them." "Why?" The woman whispered, "They said if anyone contacts the authorities..." "They'll start killing people." The line went dead. Mark was already awake. He had heard enough. "What happened?" Mia looked at him. "Hostages." His expression hardened. "Where

The words stayed with them long after Marco left. Three rival families. Three armies. One war. Mia looked at Mark across the office. "We were just talking about the future." Mark gave a faint smile. "We still are." He reached for her hand. "We'll get there." Neither of them knew how soon their lives were about to change. The following week became a blur. The Romano family prepared for war. Weapons were moved into secure rooms. Emergency routes were established. Allied families were placed on standby. Every entrance to the estate was reinforced. Mark barely slept. Mia noticed. She also noticed something else. She was tired. Not ordinary tired. The kind that settled deep inside her bones. At first, she blamed the recent battles. Then the negotiations. Then the endless nights without proper sleep. But eventually... Something felt different. One morning, Mia stood in the kitchen staring at a plate of food. She frowned. "What is that smell?" Luca looked up fr