Chapter 99 Chapter 99
Damien’s POV
Many hours later, as evening settled over the safe house, I sat in the master bedroom going through sensitive business files that Lorenzo had delivered earlier. Reports on our remaining assets, security assessments, damage estimates from the house attack.
The door opened softly, and Hailey entered, her movements quiet and careful.
“Hey,” she said, offering a small smile. “Can I join you?”
“Of course,” I said, gesturing to the space beside me on the bed. “Come sit.”
She settled onto the bed quietly, tucking her legs under her, and we sat in comfortable silence for several minutes. I continued reviewing files while she simply sat there, her presence calming despite everything.
After a while, I glanced over at her, noticing the tension in her shoulders and the way she kept fidgeting with her hands.
“Are you okay?” I asked, setting aside the papers.
“I’m fine,” Hailey said quickly, giving me a reassuring smile.
“You sure?” I pressed gently.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m okay. Really.”
We sat quietly for a few more minutes, the only sound the rustling of papers as I made notes in the margins of reports.
Then Hailey spoke again, her voice careful. “How is everything going with the investigation? Of your house?”
I looked up from the file I was reading. “The investigation?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I mean, there were several people there when we left. I assume they’re still looking into what happened?”
I set down the file completely, giving her my attention. “There is an investigation ongoing. A woman detective named Sarah is heading it up. She seems tough to deal with.”
I kept my tone neutral, not elaborating on just how much of a problem Detective Sarah was becoming. Unlike the local police we had on payroll, she wasn’t backing down or looking the other way.
Hailey’s face changed suddenly. Her expression became uncomfortable, her body stiffening slightly.
“Sarah,” she repeated quietly.
I noticed her discomfort and assumed I knew the cause. “I’m sorry,” I said, reaching out to take her hand. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I know talking about the investigation must remind you of the shooting. Of that day.”
“No, it’s okay,” Hailey said, but she still looked uneasy.
I decided to change the subject, not wanting to dwell on painful memories. “How are you enjoying the safe house? Is everything comfortable? Do you need anything changed in your room?”
Hailey was quiet for a moment, seeming to consider her answer carefully. “Honestly? I hate just being indoors all the time. I feel trapped. Like I can’t go anywhere or do anything.”
“I understand,” I said sympathetically.
“But aside from that,” she continued, “it’s okay. The house is nice. Everything is comfortable enough.”
She shifted on the bed, clearly tired. “I think I’m going to try to sleep now. I’m exhausted.”
“Get some rest,” I said, watching as she settled under the covers. “Sleep well.”
Within minutes, her breathing had evened out and she was asleep.
I returned to my files, working quietly so as not to disturb her.
Two hours passed. I’d made significant progress through the stack of documents when my phone suddenly vibrated with an incoming call.
Vincent’s name appeared on the screen.
I quickly stepped out into the hallway, not wanting to wake Hailey, and answered in a low voice. “Vincent.”
“Boss, we have a big problem,” Vincent said immediately, his voice tight with stress.
My stomach clenched. “Problem?”
“I was able to retrieve the hidden camera footage from your compound,” Vincent said. “I bypassed the police authorities like you asked, got into the backup system, pulled all the files.”
“And?” I prompted, sensing bad news coming.
“The footage is corrupt,” Vincent said, frustration clear in his tone. “Almost all of it. The files are damaged…I don’t know if it happened during the attack or if the Morellis did something to sabotage the system, but it’s bad.”
I felt my jaw tighten. “How much is salvageable?”
“Very little,” Vincent admitted. “I’ve been working on it for hours trying to recover what I can, but most of it is just… gone. Corrupted beyond repair.”
I closed my eyes, feeling a crucial piece of evidence slipping away. “So we have nothing?”
“Not nothing,” Vincent said quickly. “The first clip wasn’t corrupted. The footage from the main gate camera at the start of the attack, that one survived intact.”
Hope flickered. “Send it to me. Now.”
“Already sent to your secure phone, boss,” Vincent said.
I pulled up my secure messaging app and found the video file. My finger hovered over the play button.
“What does it show?” I asked.
“You need to see it yourself,” Vincent said, his voice grim. “But boss… it shows how they got in. How the Morellis got past your security.”
I pressed play.
The footage was clear, showing the main gate of my compound in the early morning. Everything looked normal, guards at their posts, the gate closed and secured.
Then I watched as one of my guards stepped away from his position. He pulled out his phone and answered what appeared to be a call.
He listened for just a moment, then walked directly to the gate controls and opened them.
Within seconds, Morelli vehicles came screaming through, guns already firing.
I walked out to the balcony, needing the cold night air to clear my head after seeing that footage. The betrayal burned in my chest the casual way that guard had opened my gates for the Morellis, letting them pour in like a flood of death and destruction.
My phone was still in my hand, Vincent still on the line, waiting for my response.
“Boss, there’s something else you need to know,” Vincent said, his voice tense.
“What?” I asked, gripping the balcony railing hard enough that my knuckles turned white.
“Luca Morelli,” Vincent said. “He’s been making moves tonight. Sending messages through the mafia chain of communication. According to our sources, he’s been standing in wait for more than an hour now, making his presence known to everyone in the underground.”
My jaw clenched. Luca. The bastard who’d led the attack on my home. Who’d nearly killed Hailey and Benita. Who’d murdered my guards and destroyed my compound.
And now he was out there, bold as brass, announcing his presence like he had nothing to fear.
“I want to see that clip myself,” I said, forcing my voice to remain calm even though fury was boiling in my veins. “The full footage. Not just what you showed me. I need to examine every detail, every frame.”
“I understand, boss,” Vincent said. “But there’s a problem. The file is too large to send securely over any encrypted channel. Even compressed, it would take hours, and there’s always a risk of interception. I’d have to bring it to you physically on a secure drive.”