Chapter 16 - THE BREACH|
Inside the second-floor suite, the atmosphere was quiet and serene.
Lily was fast asleep in her small bed, clutching her teddy bear, her breath steady and soft. Rosa sat near the fireplace, reading a book under the dim amber glow of a table lamp.
Suddenly, the lights inside the room flickered twice, then went completely dark.
Rosa froze.
The soft hum of the central heating died, replaced by the ominous silence of the massive stone mansion.
A second later, the sharp, muffled sound of gunfire echoed from the floor below—Phft! Phft! Phft!—followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting the marble floorboards.
Rosa’s heart jumped into her throat. She sprang up from her chair, rushing to the bed, picking up Lily into her arms.
"Mama?" Lily murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "Why is it dark?"
"Shh... baby, stay quiet," Rosa whispered frantically, carrying Lily toward the private bathroom connected to the suite.
The heavy double doors of the suite were suddenly kicked open with a deafening crash.
A tall man in tactical gear stepped into the room, holding a flashlight mounted to a combat rifle. The beam of light swept across the canopy bed, the sofa, and landed directly on the bathroom doorway.
"Found them," a gruff voice called out into the hallway.
Rosa backed into the bathroom, slamming the thick oak door shut and sliding the brass lock into place, her hands trembling so violently she could barely breathe.
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Outside the door, heavy footsteps approached.
"Open the door, maid," a cold voice sneered from the bedroom. "Or we'll blow it off its hinges!"
