Chapter 25
Alessandro returned to the estate just before dawn. The cinematic, bright morning light was beginning to break over the horizon, casting a pristine glow over the sprawling mansion. He masked his apocalyptic fury behind a flawless, sociopathic detachment. He showered, changed into a crisp, tailored three-piece suit, and summoned the entire security detail to the grand foyer. "We secured the northern routes," Alessandro announced, standing at the base of the sweeping marble staircase. His deep, raspy voice commanded the absolute attention of the fifty armed men standing before him. Vargas, the perimeter commander, stood in the front row, his fair skin slightly flushed with nervous sweat. "However, the Falcones knew our exact shipment schedules," Alessandro continued smoothly, pacing slowly with his hands clasped behind his back. "Which means we have a traitor standing in this very room." The atmosphere in the grand foyer plummeted to absolute freezing. Men exchanged tense, paranoid glances. "Vargas," Alessandro said softly, stopping directly in front of the commander. "You oversaw the dispatch logs yesterday." "Yes, Boss," Vargas replied, swallowing hard. "But I swear, the security protocols were strictly followed. We must have been hacked." Alessandro smiled, a cold, terrifying expression. "My cyber division confirmed there was no hack. There was only greed."
