The Traitor Within
Chapter 04 - The Traitor Within
By 3:00 PM, the Moretti estate was locked down tighter than a federal prison. High-voltage electric fences hummed along the perimeter, heavily armed guards in tactical gear patrolled the gardens, and snipers scanned the surrounding tree lines from the estate roof.
Inside the grand dining room, Leo and Matteo were sitting at the long oak table, happily painting wooden toys with colorful acrylic paints. Elena sat right beside them, laughing softly as Leo accidentally dabbed a speck of blue paint onto his brother’s nose.
Dante stood near the balcony doorway, watching the three of them through the glass. For the first time in twenty-two months, the sound of genuine childhood laughter echoed through the cold hallways of his mansion.
Carlo walked up behind Dante, carrying a thick leather dossier.
“Boss,” Carlo said gravely. “We traced the black van.”
“Who owns it?” Dante asked without turning around.
“It was registered to a shell company owned by Dominic Falcone,” Carlo reported. “But that’s not the worst part.”
Dante slowly turned his head. “Speak.”
Carlo opened the dossier, revealing a series of high-resolution surveillance photographs taken inside the Moretti mansion three days ago.
The photos showed someone standing inside Dante’s private office, using a handheld scanner to copy the security clearance codes directly off Dante’s master computer desk.
The person in the photo was wearing a dark suit, their face partially obscured by the shadows. But on their left wrist was a distinctive gold watch—a limited-edition Rolex gifted by Dante himself to his inner circle commanders.
There were only three men in the entire syndicate who owned that exact watch: Carlo DeSantis, senior commander Frankie Vane, and Dante’s own cousin, Lorenzo Moretti.
Dante’s eyes turned pitch black. “Where is Lorenzo right now?”
“He’s down in the lower courtyard, supervising the perimeter guards,” Carlo answered, his voice tight with betrayal. “I haven't confronted him yet. I wanted to bring it to you first.”
Dante took a slow, deep breath. Betrayal from an enemy was expected; betrayal from blood was a cardinal sin in the Moretti family. Lorenzo had grown up in the same house as Dante. He had attended Isabella’s funeral. He had held Leo and Matteo when they were babies.
“Bring Lorenzo to the wine cellar,” Dante ordered quietly. “Tell him I need him to inspect the emergency weapons cache.”
“Understood, Boss,” Carlo nodded, turning to leave.
“And Carlo,” Dante added, stopping him in his tracks. “Do not let Lorenzo anywhere near the children.”
Dante walked into the dining room. As he approached the table, Leo held up his painted toy horse, his face beaming with pride.
“Look, Daddy! Miss Elena helped me paint his mane silver!” Leo cheered.
Dante’s expression softened instantly. He leaned down, placing a hand on Leo’s head and kissing Matteo’s cheek.
“It looks beautiful, Leo,” Dante said gently. He looked up at Elena, his eyes conveying a silent, urgent message.
Elena caught his look immediately. She stood up, brushing off her apron. “Boys, why don't we go upstairs to your playroom and try out the new puzzle set?”
“Yay!” Matteo cheered, grabbing his toy horse and running toward the grand staircase.
Elena paused beside Dante, leaning in close so the boys wouldn't hear. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m going to clean house, Elena,” Dante whispered, his voice dark and deadly. “Stay upstairs until I come get you.”
Elena looked into his eyes, seeing the cold, unstoppable fury of the Black Wolf returning. She gently laid her hand over his tattooed wrist.
May you like
“Be careful, Dante,” she whispered softly before turning to follow the boys upstairs.
Dante watched her go, feeling the warmth of her touch lingering on his skin. Then, he turned around, pulled his gun from his holster, and headed down toward the basement.
