Chapter 5 - The Inside Man
The sprawling Moretti estate was a fortress disguised as a Renaissance villa. High stone walls, armed guards patrolling the perimeter with attack dogs, and state-of-the-art surveillance systems made it impenetrable from the outside. But as Sienna walked through the opulent marble corridors three days later, wearing a simple pair of dark jeans and a gray sweater provided by the staff, she knew the real danger wasn't outside. It was inside.
Her ribs were tightly wrapped, and her arm was bandaged, but her mind was sharper than it had been in years. The fog of street survival had lifted, replaced by the acute tactical awareness that had kept her alive in war zones.
She found Lucian in his study, a massive room lined with leather-bound books and smelling of rich mahogany and expensive cigars. He was standing over a mahogany table, looking at architectural blueprints of the city. Standing opposite him was a tall, sharply dressed man with slick blonde hair and a calculating gaze.
Sienna hovered by the open doorway.
"We retaliate tonight," the blonde man was saying, tapping a finger on a warehouse marked on the map. "We hit their docks. Send the Bratva a message that taking a shot at Lily means war."
"It is war, Marcus," Lucian said coldly. "But hitting the docks is expected. I want the rat. I want to know who told them Lily was going to the park."
Sienna knocked lightly on the doorframe. Both men looked up.
"Am I interrupting?" she asked.
Lucian's demeanor softened slightly, though his eyes remained guarded. "Come in, Sienna. How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a truck, but I'll live." She walked in, her eyes locking onto the blonde man. "Who's this?"
"This is Marcus, my head of security and my second-in-command," Lucian introduced. "Marcus, this is Sienna."
Marcus offered a tight, polite smile that didn't reach his eyes. "The hero of the hour. We all owe you a great debt, Ms. Hayes. If you hadn't been there..."
"Yeah, well, I was," Sienna said, crossing her arms. She didn't like Marcus. It wasn't anything concrete, just an instinct honed by years of watching predators on the streets. His eyes moved too much, taking in everything, assessing threats, evaluating angles. "I heard you talking about the leak."
"This is family business, Ms. Hayes," Marcus said smoothly, taking a step toward her as if to usher her out. "Perhaps you should return to your room."
"Let her speak," Lucian commanded, raising a hand.
Sienna stepped past Marcus, moving to the table. "You said the Bratva knew Lily's schedule. But Lily's nanny told me this morning that the park trip was spontaneous. Lily threw a tantrum because she wanted ice cream from the vendor by the fountain, so the nanny changed the route at the last minute."
Lucian frowned, his brow furrowing. "I was told it was on her itinerary."
"It wasn't," Sienna said, looking directly at Marcus. "Which means whoever tipped off the Bratva didn't just hand over a schedule. They had to be tracking her in real-time. They had to communicate the route change to the hit squad while she was in transit."
Marcus scoffed softly. "With all due respect, Ms. Hayes, you're a civilian. You don't understand how these things work. The Bratva have eyes everywhere. They could have had a spotter."
"A spotter couldn't coordinate a three-van intercept in less than ten minutes," Sienna shot back, her military background bleeding into her tone. "That was a tactical ambush. They knew exactly where to box her in. That requires a GPS feed or someone on the inside relaying exact coordinates."
Lucian's eyes darkened. He looked at Marcus. "Who had access to the vehicle's GPS tracking today?"
Marcus swallowed hard, a microscopic bead of sweat forming on his hairline. "Myself, the tech team, and... a few of the trusted capos."
"Narrow it down," Lucian growled. "I want logs. Now."
As Marcus hurriedly left the room, pulling out his encrypted phone, Lucian turned to Sienna. There was a new level of respect in his gaze.
"You're not just a beggar," Lucian said softly. "You have the mind of a general."
"I was a combat medic," Sienna said quietly. "You learn to read a battlefield, or people die. Right now, your house is a battlefield, Lucian. And you're blind to the sniper in the trees."
Lucian stepped closer to her, the space between them suddenly feeling very charged. "And who do you think the sniper is?"
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"The man who just walked out of the room," Sienna said without hesitation. "He's too polished. Too eager to deflect. Watch him."
"If you're wrong," Lucian said, his voice a low rumble, "it's treason to accuse my second. If you're right... it means the man who has protected my back for ten years is trying to kill my daughter."
