Chapter 7 - The Breach
At two in the morning, the heavy storm outside reached its peak. Thunder shook the estate's floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and lightning illuminated the dark valley below in violent flashes of white.
Inside the second-floor nursery, Alina stood beside the wooden crib, watching baby Leo sleep. He lay on his stomach, clutching a plush gray bear, his dark curls messy against the white sheet.
Alina smiled softly, reaching down to stroke the baby's soft cheek. For the first time in twenty-four hours, the terror in her heart had faded, replaced by a deep, instinctual sense of belonging. She was no longer just a struggling waitress alone in a cold city. She had a family.
Suddenly, the red emergency strip lights along the baseboards hummed to life.
The soft hum of the nursery air conditioning died instantly. The heavy steel security shutters over the windows began descending with a loud, mechanical whine.
Marco’s voice crackled frantically through the wall intercom. "Boss! We have a perimeter breach at the north wall! Moretti’s tactical squad cut the main power grid!"
Alina’s breath hitched. She instantly reached down into the crib, scooping nine-month-old Leo up into her arms, pressing him tight against her chest. Leo woke up, whimpering softly in the red ambient light.
The nursery door flew open.
Dante stepped into the room. He wore his black tactical vest over his white shirt, a sleek custom handgun in his broad hand, his scar catching the dramatic red light.
"Stay behind me," Dante ordered calmly, his voice a rock of absolute stability amid the chaos.
"Dante... they're inside?" Alina gasped, holding the baby tight.
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"They brought thirty men," Dante said, racking the slide of his weapon with a crisp, lethal click. "They think taking my power grid gives them an advantage in my house."
He turned his head toward her, his dark eyes locking onto hers with terrifying confidence. "They forgot that this house was built by a dragon."
