Chapter 4 - Reading the Room
By her third day at the estate, Elena had mastered the rhythm of the household. She moved quietly through the corridors, dusting antique tables, arranging fresh flowers, and observing the unspoken dynamics between Dante’s inner circle. During a formal dinner party hosted in the main dining hall, Dante sat at the head of the mahogany table surrounded by capos and business associates, while Elena tended to the wine glasses.
Across the table, a senior advisor named Paul Vance spoke smoothly about expanding territory into the north district. His words sounded loyal, but Elena, standing near the shadows of the sideboard, watched his micro-expressions. His left eye twitched slightly; his fingers drummed a frantic rhythm against his thigh; his breathing hitched whenever Dante mentioned financial audits.
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When Dante excused himself to take a phone call in his private study, Elena followed shortly after with a tray of fresh espresso. She found him standing by the window, rubbing his temples in exhaustion. Setting the tray down, she took out her notepad and wrote a single sentence, sliding it across the desk: Paul Vance is lying about the north district accounts.
Dante stared down at the paper, then looked up into Elena’s steady, piercing eyes. "What makes you say that?" Elena pointed to her own eyes, then mimicked the nervous tapping of fingers and the tense shift of posture. Dante’s expression darkened as he realized the depth of her insight.
