Chapter 4 - The Woman in the Burgundy Coat
Sophie reacted without thinking.
Her grandfather had once told her that panic was simply energy without direction.
So she gave it direction.
She drove her heel backward.
The man behind her cursed.
His grip loosened.
Sophie twisted away.
Titan launched himself between them.
The attacker froze.
It was one of the estate security guards.
Peter Lang.
Sophie recognized him immediately.
Titan’s growl filled the corridor.
Peter slowly raised his hands.
“Call him off.”
Sophie backed toward Luca’s office.
“Why?”
“Sophie.”
“Why were you grabbing me?”
Peter looked toward the staircase.
Footsteps approached.
Then he ran.
Titan moved.
“No!”
Sophie grabbed his collar.
The dog stopped.
Peter disappeared around the corner.
Seconds later Luca and Marco appeared.
Luca took one look at Sophie’s face.
“What happened?”
“Peter.”
“Peter Lang?”
“He grabbed me.”
Luca’s expression changed.
“Where?”
“He ran toward the east stairs.”
Marco immediately spoke into his radio.
Luca stepped closer to Sophie.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
His eyes moved over her face anyway.
Then he saw Titan.
“You stopped him?”
Sophie nodded.
“He would have chased Peter.”
Luca looked at her hand still gripping Titan’s collar.
“Most people would have let him.”
“I didn’t know what Titan would do if he caught him.”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
“I do.”
Peter Lang never reached the east gate.
Security caught him in the garage.
Inside his coat they found cash, a burner phone and copies of Luca’s travel schedule.
The phone contained messages from Adrian Vale.
And Adrian’s messages pointed directly toward Vivienne.
Luca found her in the music room.
She stood beside the piano wearing the same calm expression she wore at charity galas and formal dinners.
“You dismissed Peter,” she said.
“He tried to attack Sophie.”
Vivienne’s eyes flickered.
“A maid.”
“A person.”
Vivienne looked at him.
Something old and bitter moved between them.
“You’ve changed.”
“No.”
“You have.”
She laughed softly.
“Six months ago, if a servant caused this much disruption, she would have been gone before dinner.”
“Sophie didn’t cause it.”
“No. She merely poured water over your dog and somehow convinced you to dismantle half your security operation.”
Luca approached.
“Why Titan?”
Vivienne’s face became blank.
“What?”
“Why were you trying to make him aggressive?”
For the first time, her control cracked.
Only slightly.
But Luca saw it.
“You’re accusing me?”
“I’m asking.”
“Based on what? The word of a maid?”
“Based on bank transfers from one of your holding companies.”
Vivienne stared.
“Adrian confessed.”
That was a lie.
But her reaction told Luca enough.
She turned toward the window.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
Vivienne’s shoulders lowered.
“My father is dying.”
Luca said nothing.
“He built everything around the assumption that our families would merge.”
“Our families discussed business.”
“They discussed marriage.”
“You and I never did.”
Vivienne turned.
“That didn’t matter.”
“It mattered to me.”
Her eyes hardened.
“You were supposed to marry someone suitable.”
“Suitable.”
“Someone who understands your world.”
Luca’s voice cooled.
“So you tortured my dog?”
“I didn’t tell Adrian to hurt him.”
“You paid Adrian.”
“I told him to make Titan difficult.”
“Why?”
“Because Titan kept people away.”
Luca frowned.
Vivienne continued.
“You trusted that dog more than anyone. He followed you everywhere. Every meeting. Every private dinner. Every late-night walk.”
She laughed bitterly.
“You trusted an animal more than your own allies.”
“That still doesn’t answer the question.”
“If Titan became unstable, you would remove him.”
“And?”
“And you would need people.”
Luca understood.
“You thought removing my dog would make me dependent on you.”
Vivienne’s eyes glistened.
“I thought you would finally stop living like everyone was waiting to betray you.”
Luca looked at her.
“You proved I was right.”
Vivienne flinched.
The door opened.
Marco entered.
“We have enough.”
Vivienne looked toward him.
“For what?”
“For conspiracy, unauthorized surveillance, bribery and animal cruelty.”
Her face drained.
Luca turned away.
“Escort her out.”
“Luca.”
He stopped.
“We have known each other since we were children.”
“Yes.”
“You cannot throw that away over a maid and a dog.”
Luca looked back.
“No.”
His voice was almost gentle.
“You threw it away.”
Vivienne left the estate before sunset.
But the damage she had helped create remained.
Peter’s burner phone revealed something worse.
He had been selling Luca’s schedules to an outside organization.
Not merely competitors.
People who wanted Luca dead.
Vivienne claimed she knew nothing about that part.
Luca believed her.
Adrian had taken her plan and sold access to something much larger.
The estate went into security lockdown.
Sophie was furious when she discovered she was part of it.
“You cannot seriously expect me to stay inside this room.”
“Yes.”
Luca stood at her doorway.
Titan lay between them.
“I have work.”
“Mrs. Turner reassigned it.”
“I need the paycheck.”
“You’re being paid.”
“That is not the point.”
“What is the point?”
Sophie crossed her arms.
“The point is that you’re making decisions about my life without asking me.”
“I’m keeping you safe.”
“Those are not the same thing.”
Luca stared.
Very few people spoke to him that way.
Sophie seemed increasingly unaware she was supposed to be afraid of him.
“You were attacked because of something happening inside my organization.”
“Exactly. Your organization.”
Luca’s expression darkened.
“You think this is amusing?”
“No.”
“Peter could have killed you.”
“I know.”
The words came out softer.
Luca stopped.
Sophie looked away.
For the first time, he noticed her hands were trembling.
His anger disappeared.
“You’re frightened.”
She gave a humorless laugh.
“Of course I’m frightened.”
Titan lifted his head.
Sophie sat on the bed.
“I’m just tired of frightened people being told they don’t get choices.”
Luca looked at Titan.
Then at Sophie.
The meaning was obvious.
He sat in the chair across from her.
“What do you want?”
She looked surprised.
“What?”
“You said I didn’t ask.”
He leaned back.
“So I’m asking.”
Sophie thought.
“I want to keep working.”
“Not outside the secure wing.”
“Fine.”
“I want a guard near you.”
“No.”
“That isn’t negotiable.”
“Then why ask?”
Luca almost smiled.
“Because I’m learning.”
She shook her head.
“One guard. Not following me into rooms.”
“Agreed.”
“And Titan chooses where he goes.”
Luca looked down at the dog.
“I’m beginning to suspect Titan has been doing that anyway.”
Sophie smiled.
The tension eased.
For three days, the estate remained quiet.
Too quiet.
Luca reviewed every employee.
Marco replaced security protocols.
Noah continued Titan’s treatment.
Sophie helped the dog rebuild confidence in the grooming room.
And somewhere during those days, Luca began finding reasons to be wherever Sophie was.
The library.
The greenhouse.
The kitchen.
Once, even the laundry wing.
Sophie looked up from folding towels.
“Do you need something?”
“No.”
She waited.
Luca looked around.
“I was looking for Titan.”
Titan was lying three feet away.
Sophie pointed.
Luca stared at the dog.
“I see that.”
She tried not to laugh.
“You’re very good at finding him.”
Luca left.
Sophie waited until the door closed before laughing into a towel.
Titan’s tail thumped.
But the fragile calm did not last.
At 2:13 a.m. on the fourth night, every light in the estate went out.
The backup generator failed.
Security radios went silent.
Luca woke instantly.
Titan was already growling.
Then a gunshot broke through the darkness.
May you like
And Sophie, three floors away, heard footsteps running toward her door.
---
