Chapter 35
The hunt for Elias was swift and brutal. The Rizzano syndicate descended upon the city like a plague, utilizing their absolute control over the underworld and their vast technological resources to track the fleeing technician.
By midnight, they cornered him.
Elias was hiding in a derelict subway maintenance tunnel beneath the financial district. He was a young, fair-skinned man, sweating profusely and clutching a heavy duffel bag of cash. When the heavy tactical beams of the Rizzano operatives cut through the darkness, he dropped the bag and fell to his knees in sheer terror.
Alessandro walked down the concrete tunnel, his polished leather shoes echoing off the damp walls. He did not draw a weapon. His imposing, deeply masculine presence was enough to paralyze the traitor.
"You unlocked my daughter's window," Alessandro stated, his voice a low, vibrating hum that echoed in the cavernous space.
"Mr. Rizzano, please!" Elias begged, his American accent cracking hysterically. "They threatened my family! They showed me pictures of my mother! I had no choice!"
"There is always a choice, Elias," Alessandro replied coldly, stopping inches away from the kneeling man. "You chose to endanger my blood to save your own."
"I just planted the box!" Elias sobbed. "I didn't let anyone inside! I just opened the window and put the box on the sill!"
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"Who is The Architect?" Alessandro asked, his words slow and measured.
"I don't know his real name!" Elias gasped. "I swear to God! He only communicates through encrypted dark-web channels. He paid me in untraceable cryptocurrency. He told me the box was just a warning, to prove that your fortress has cracks!"
