Chapter 3 - Shadows of the Salvatore EstateThe Salvatore estate was a fortress disguised as a European mansion.
High stone walls topped with security cameras surrounded the property, and armed guards in dark coats patrolled the manicured gardens. Yet inside, the house was stunningly warm—filled with high vaulted ceilings, grand oil paintings, and the rich smell of old books and burning oak from massive stone fireplaces.
Victor led me up a grand marble staircase to a spacious guest suite on the second floor. The room featured a king-sized bed, a private balcony, and a massive bathroom with a clawfoot tub.
"My housekeeper, Elena, has placed fresh clothes in the wardrobe," Victor said, standing in the doorway with his hands tucked into his suit pockets. "A doctor will be here in twenty minutes to check your ribs."
"A doctor?" I asked, stepping back nervously. "No, really, I'm fine—"
"You're favoring your left side when you breathe," Victor interrupted gently, his gray eyes softening as he looked at me. "I’ve seen enough broken bones in my life to know when someone is hiding pain. Let the doctor examine you, Lena. You don't have to pretend to be strong in this house."
The kindness in his voice—so unexpected coming from a man known as the city's most lethal underworld boss—shattered the last remnants of my composure. A sob caught in my throat, and I squeezed my eyes shut as silent tears spilled over my cheeks.
Victor took two slow, quiet steps toward me. He didn't wrap his arms around me or force an embrace. Instead, he simply reached out and placed his warm, heavy hand on top of my head, letting his fingers rest gently against my hair.
"You're safe here," he murmured softly. "No one enters this house without my permission. And Derek Hail will never cross that threshold."
"Why are you doing this?" I sobbed, looking up at him through blurred vision. "You don't know me. We’ve never spoken before tonight. Why would you risk a war with the Hail family for a stranger?"
Victor remained silent for a long moment. His thumb reached down, gently wiping a warm tear from my cheek.
"You think we're strangers, Lena," Victor said softly, his voice echoing with a deep, hidden history that sent a thrill of curiosity through my chest. "But I have known who you were for four years."
Before I could ask him what he meant, a knock sounded at the door.
"Sir," his scar-faced guard, Marco, spoke from the hallway. "We have a situation outside the front gates. Derek Hail has arrived with four police cruisers. He’s demanding to search the property for a kidnapped person."
I went rigid with fear. "Oh God... he brought the police."
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Victor didn't look bothered in the slightest. A small, cold smirk touched his lips as he straightened his suit jacket.
"Stay here with the doctor, Lena," Victor said calmly, turning toward the door. "I'm going to go educate Mr. Hail on the laws of trespass."
