Chapter 6 – The Pocket Watch That Stopped Time

Daniel stared at the piece of paper in my hand.

The triumphant smirk melted off his face, replaced by absolute, dawning horror.

“Give me that,” Daniel snarled, trying to lunge forward despite his shattered knee.

Marcus stepped down hard on Daniel’s ankle, pinning him to the floor. Daniel screamed in agony.

I looked at Luca.

“He doesn’t have leverage anymore,” I said, my voice trembling but loud enough for everyone to hear. “If we have the combination, he has nothing to trade.”

Luca’s eyes widened. He immediately understood what I was doing.

“Exactly,” Luca said smoothly, playing along. He walked toward me and took the piece of paper. “Thank you, Natalie. We don’t need him now.”

Luca turned to his guards.

“Drag him to the basement. Don’t worry about the sister. She’s collateral damage.”

My heart screamed in protest, but I kept my face entirely blank. I had to sell the bluff. If Daniel thought we didn’t care about Maya, his only bargaining chip was worthless.

“Wait! Wait!” Daniel shrieked as two massive guards grabbed him by the armpits and hauled him off the floor. “You can’t just let her die! She’s innocent!”

“I’m the head of the Chicago syndicate, Daniel,” Luca said coldly. “I don’t care about a maid’s sister. I care about my money. And now I have it.”

“He’ll drown her!” Daniel screamed, thrashing wildly. “The driver will drive the car into the river!”

“Let him,” Luca shrugged. “Take him downstairs.”

“NO!”

Daniel’s voice cracked in sheer terror. He looked at Camille, who was sitting frozen on the floor, realizing her brother was about to be tortured to death.

“Camille, help me!”

Camille turned her head away, staring at the marble floor.

“The word is ‘Sundown’!” Daniel screamed, hyperventilating as the guards dragged him toward the kitchen doors. “The safe word is ‘Sundown’! Tell him! Tell the driver!”

Luca raised a hand.

The guards stopped.

Luca looked at Marcus.

Marcus immediately pulled a two-way radio from his belt, tuning it to the frequency Daniel’s men used.

“Driver,” Marcus spoke into the radio, his voice deep and authoritative. “This is Bennett. The operation is compromised. Safe word is Sundown. Repeat, Sundown. Bring the package to the front gate and walk away.”

Static hissed through the dining room.

Ten seconds passed.

They felt like ten years.

Then, a gruff voice crackled over the radio.

“Copy that. Sundown confirmed. Package is at the front gate. Keys are in the ignition. I’m gone.”

My legs finally gave out.

I collapsed onto the marble floor, burying my face in my hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

Maya was safe.

Luca dropped the piece of paper and rushed to my side. He knelt on the floor, wrapping his strong arms around me, pulling me tight against his chest.

“She’s safe, Natalie,” Luca whispered fiercely into my hair. “She’s safe. I’ve got you.”

I clung to his shirt, completely abandoning all professionalism, crying into his shoulder. For the first time in months, I didn’t feel like a servant. I felt protected.

“Secure the vehicle,” Luca ordered over my shoulder. “Bring Maya inside. Get paramedics.”

“Yes, sir,” Marcus said, running toward the front doors.

Daniel was dumped onto the floor, weeping in pain and defeat.

Anthony wheeled himself forward.

He looked down at the piece of paper I had dropped on the floor.

He reached down and picked it up.

He unfolded it.

It wasn’t a string of twelve numbers.

It was a grocery list.

“Apples… milk… bread,” Anthony read aloud, his voice cracking with a rare, genuine laugh.

Daniel stared at the paper. “What?”

“The combination isn’t in the watch,” Anthony said, looking at Daniel with absolute disgust. “It’s in my head. Always has been. She bluffed you.”

Daniel let out a scream of rage, realizing a twenty-five-year-old housekeeper had just outsmarted him and dismantled his entire empire of extortion.

“You stupid bitch!” Camille hissed at me from the floor.

Luca’s head snapped toward her.

He stood up, his protective embrace instantly turning into lethal authority.

“Get her out of my sight,” Luca commanded quietly.

Guards grabbed Camille by the arms, dragging her toward the door.

“Luca, please!” she begged, her elegant facade completely shattered. “I love you! I can make this right! We can still be together!”

“If I ever see your face again,” Luca said, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper, “I will forget that I am a civilized man.”

As Camille was dragged through the massive double doors, her thrashing caused something to tear.

The heavy, beaded lining of her designer dress ripped open.

Something metallic clattered onto the marble floor.

I recognized it immediately.

It was a heavy, ornate silver key.

Not a modern key. An antique skeleton key, adorned with the Moretti family crest.

Anthony saw it.

The laughter died in his throat.

His face went completely pale, his eyes widening in absolute terror.

“No,” Anthony whispered, his good hand gripping his wheelchair so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Luca looked at the key, then at his father.

“Dad? What is it?”

Anthony couldn’t speak. He was hyperventilating, staring at the silver key as if it were a venomous snake.

“The… basement,” Anthony finally choked out, tears spilling down his cheeks. “She has the key… to the basement.”

TITLE: The Skeleton Key To The Basement

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