Chapter 6 - An Unexpected Summons
Emma lived on the third floor of an aging brick walk-up in Pilsen, where the sound of the elevated train rattled the single-pane windows every twenty minutes.
She sat at her small kitchen table, staring at the small black card with Vincent Moretti’s name printed in raised gold lettering. The clock on the wall read 2:15 AM.
In the adjoining bedroom, a small cough echoed through the thin door. Emma stood up quickly, poured a cup of warm water, and slipped inside.
Her twelve-year-old brother, Liam, was awake, sitting propped up against two thin pillows. His skin was pale, his eyes heavy with dark circles, and an inhaler rested beside his bedside table. Liam suffered from severe chronic asthma and a congenital respiratory condition that required expensive imported medication—medication Emma had been struggling to afford with double shifts at the catering company.
"Emma?" Liam whispered, his voice raspy. "You're home late. Did something happen?"
Emma sat on the edge of the mattress, running her fingers through his messy brown hair with a warm smile. "Nothing bad, Liam. Just a very long night."
"Did you get the tips from the rich people?" he asked innocently.
Emma looked down at her hands. The bruises on her wrist were already turning purple. "Not tips, Liam. But things might be changing soon. Go back to sleep, okay? I need you to rest."
She stayed by his side until his breathing evened out into deep slumber. When she finally lay down on her worn couch, sleep eluded her. Vincent Moretti’s intense, commanding gaze haunted her thoughts.
The next morning at 10:00 AM, the quiet street outside her apartment was disrupted by the low, velvety purr of an engine that clearly didn't belong in Pilsen.
Emma pulled back the faded curtain and gasped.
Parked directly in front of her tenement building was a pristine midnight-black Maybach. Stepping out of the passenger side was Julian Vance, dressed in the same crisp charcoal suit from the gala. He looked up at the apartment numbers, adjusted his earpiece, and walked purposefully toward her front door.
A moment later, three sharp, measured knocks echoed through her small living room.
May you like
Emma opened the door, her heart leaping into her throat.
"Miss Carter," Julian said with a polite, immaculate nod. "Good morning. Mr. Moretti and Mrs. Isabella Moretti request your presence at Moretti Tower. A car is waiting for you downstairs."
