Chapter 17 - The Midnight Intrusion at the Caruso Estate
Midnight descended upon Manhattan like a heavy velvet shroud, blanketing the towering skyscrapers in absolute darkness.
Inside the private sanctuary of the Caruso penthouse, the only sound was the soft, rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock in the hallway.
Dominic sat at his mahogany desk, reviewing encrypted security reports from the newly restructured shipping ports across New Jersey.
Across the room, Julian was fast asleep on a plush leather sofa, exhausted from days of stress and physical healing, his arm resting in its brace.
Hannah and baby Lily were tucked safely away in the master residential wing, surrounded by state-of-the-art biometric security locks.
Suddenly, every single computer monitor on Dominic’s desk flickered violently, turning pitch black before flashing a single crimson warning.WARNING: EXTERNAL BREACH DETECTED ON SUB-LEVEL FREIGHT ELEVATOR.
Dominic’s instincts flared instantly. He reached beneath the desk, his hand locking onto the grip of his Sig Sauer pistol as he stood up.
There were no scheduled maintenance teams tonight. Every access code had been rigorously vetted and changed just hours prior.
"Julian, wake up," Dominic commanded in a sharp, urgent whisper, striding across the room to shake his brother’s shoulder.
Julian’s eyes snapped open instantly, training honed by survival taking over as he rolled off the sofa and grabbed a secondary sidearm from the table.
"What is it?" Julian murmured, his voice tense and alert.
"We have company," Dominic replied, his dark eyes fixed on the heavy double doors leading into the hallway.
On the security monitors, thermal imaging showed three silent, heavily armed figures moving through the private residential corridors with terrifying precision.
They weren't local street thugs or corrupt corporate lackeys; they moved with elite military synchronization, wearing high-grade night-vision gear and suppressors.
"They bypassed the perimeter grid," Julian whispered, horror dawning in his pale gray eyes. "How is that even possible?"
"Because they didn't hack the system... they used override frequencies belonging to Viktor Rostova's global syndicate," Dominic realized with cold clarity.
Marcus Vance was just a distraction. The real predator had finally crossed the ocean to finish what Marcus had started.
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"They’re heading straight for the nursery," Julian’s voice cracked with raw terror as he sprinted toward the hallway door.
"Move!" Dominic roared, raising his pistol as the brothers charged out into the darkened corridor to intercept the assassins before they reached Lily.
