Chapter 8 - A Dangerous EncounterTwo weeks passed in a blur of structured routine. True to his word, Antonio’s foundation transferred funds that completely wiped out my hospital debts, and I began working as a junior coordinator at a major community healthcare clinic downtown, guarded discreetly by men in sharp suits who sat quietly in the waiting room.
The tension, however, was palpable everywhere I went.
On a rainy Thursday afternoon, I stepped out of the clinic to grab a coffee across the street. As I waited at the crosswalk, a matte-black sedan pulled abruptly to the curb. The rear door flew open before I could react, and a heavy hand grabbed my arm, yanking me violently toward the vehicle.
“Get in, sweetheart. Let’s have a little chat about the Russo family,” a raspy, unfamiliar voice snarled.
Panic surged through me. Morettis. They had found me despite the security detail.
I screamed, kicking backward with all my might, catching my assailant square in the shin. He cursed, loosening his grip just enough for me to wrench my arm free and stumble backward onto the wet pavement.
Before they could drag me inside, a deafening screech of tires echoed down the street. Two black SUVs slammed to a halt behind the sedan, doors flying open as Victor and three other armed guards erupted from the vehicles with practiced military precision.
Gunfire didn't break out—the crowded downtown street made an open shootout too risky—but the sheer intimidation of the Russo enforcers caused the Moretti thugs to panic. They shoved me away, scrambled back into their sedan, and sped away through a red light.
Victor was by my side in a fraction of a second, his hands gripping my shoulders. “Are you hurt, Sophie?”
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“N-no,” I gasped, trembling violently as rain mixed with cold sweat on my forehead. “They... they grabbed me.”
Victor’s expression hardened into stone. He pulled out his encrypted phone, dialing a direct line. “Boss. They made a move. She’s safe, but the perimeter has been breached.”
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