Rescued by Darkness

A Web of Betryal

The dawn's light barely touched the horizon when Lorenzo gathered his sons and top men in the war room, the tension hanging thick in the air. The attack had shaken them all, but it had also cemented one undeniable truth—there was a traitor in their midst. Someone within their ranks had given away critical information, exposing their family to danger.

Lorenzo's face was unreadable, his expression cold and calculated. The night had been long, and although the D'Angelos had emerged victorious, the threat still loomed. The mole had slipped through his grasp once again, and his enemies were getting bolder.

Luciana had finally fallen asleep in Alessia's arms after hours of being restless. The baby had sensed the tension, and her cries had pierced through the chaos of the night like a dagger to 

Lorenzo's heart. He had stayed by her side, watching her fragile body rise and fall with each breath, silently vowing to annihilate anyone who threatened her safety. Now, that soft side was tucked away, replaced by the iron-clad mafia boss that had built an empire.

Nico, Xander, Leo, Mason, and Cassio sat around the large table, their expressions grim. Each of them had their weapons resting on the table before them—a clear symbol of the world they lived in, where peace was fragile, and violence was always a heartbeat away.

"We took care of the attackers," Nico began, his voice steady, but anger simmered beneath. "But this wasn't random, Dad. They knew exactly where to hit."

Lorenzo nodded, leaning forward in his chair. His hazel eyes swept over his sons, then landed on Rocco, his most trusted right-hand man. "It was coordinated, no doubt. We handled the external threat, but the internal one—" He slammed a fist onto the table, his frustration momentarily breaking through. "The mole is still out there. One of our own fed the Russians this information."

The room went silent for a beat. No one liked to think that one of their own had turned against the family, but it was the reality they faced.

"Any leads?" Xander asked, his jaw tight.

"Not yet," Lorenzo growled. "But we'll find them. Rocco's been running down every possible angle. I've already put feelers out to our allies in the syndicate, but we need to tighten security here. No one is to leave or enter this compound without my explicit permission."

"We need to send a message," Cassio said, his usual easy-going demeanor replaced with a hardened resolve. "The Russians think they can come at us like this? We can't let that stand."

"They won't get away with it," Leo added. "But first, we need to find the traitor. We don't move on the Russians until we've cleaned house."

Lorenzo nodded in agreement, his fingers tapping the table as his mind whirred with possibilities. He'd already doubled the number of guards patrolling the estate, increased the security systems, and personally vetted every new face that had joined their ranks. But still, someone had slipped through the cracks.

"We'll find them," he said quietly, his voice filled with deadly promise. "But we need to be smart about this. Whoever the mole is, they're desperate. And desperate people make mistakes."

Rocco cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "We intercepted a few calls late last night from one of our northern outposts. Nothing concrete yet, but there's chatter about someone within the inner circle getting paid off by a Russian syndicate. It could be a lead."

Lorenzo's eyes narrowed. "Get the details. I want names. Anyone even remotely tied to this needs to be brought in."

Rocco nodded, already rising to carry out his orders.

As the meeting drew to a close, the weight of what had happened still hung heavily on the D'Angelo family. Lorenzo lingered in the war room for a moment after his sons had left, his gaze fixed on the maps spread out before him, detailing the extent of their empire. The attack had made one thing clear—Luciana's presence had become known. His enemies had seen her as a vulnerability, something to exploit. But they had made a fatal mistake.

He stood up abruptly, walking through the corridors of the mansion with purpose. The weight of the night had settled on his shoulders, but there was something different now—a new resolve. 

He would root out the mole, destroy the Russians, and make an example of anyone who dared challenge the D'Angelos. But first, he needed to check on his daughter.

When he entered the master suite, Alessia was there, sitting beside Luciana's crib. The baby was asleep again, her tiny hands curled into fists as she lay beneath the soft blankets. The sight of her brought a brief, fleeting smile to his face—one of the few moments where his hardened exterior cracked, revealing the man who was so deeply in love with this child.Alessia looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with worry. "Did you find anything?"

"Not yet," Lorenzo admitted, his voice low. He stepped closer to the crib, gently brushing Luciana's light brown hair away from her forehead. "But we will."

Alessia stood and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. "She's changed everything, hasn't she?"

Lorenzo nodded, his gaze still fixed on their daughter. "She has. She's the first girl born into this family in generations. They'll never stop coming for her. But they'll never get through me."

Alessia squeezed him tighter. "I know. And we'll keep her safe. She'll grow up knowing how loved she is, how fiercely we'll protect her."

As Lorenzo stared down at Luciana, his expression softened. But only for a moment. His mind was already turning back to the issue at hand—the mole, the threat to their family, and the steps he would have to take to ensure their safety.

The warmth of his family's love was a brief reprieve, but the cold reality of his world was never far behind. He kissed Alessia softly before stepping away from her embrace. "I need to tighten security around the mansion. There's no room for error anymore."

"I know," Alessia whispered, watching him as he left the room. She knew how much pressure he was under, but she also knew that there was no one better suited to protect their family than Lorenzo D'Angelo.

As Lorenzo walked through the hallways of his mansion, his mind sharpened like a blade. The Russians would pay for their audacity, and the mole within his ranks would beg for mercy before the end. But for now, he had only one priority: Luciana.

He checked his phone, sending a quick message to Nico, Xander, Leo, Mason, and Cassio.

*We tighten the circle. No one in or out without my word. The mole won't escape us this time.* He slipped his phone back into his pocket and headed toward the security center. There was no time for mistakes. His daughter's life depended on it.