Chapter 4 - Shadows in the Courtyard
The moon hung like a silver sickle over the snow-dusted grounds of the Hudson Valley estate.
Inside the nursery, the soft glow of a star-projector cast gentle constellations across the ceiling. Nico was fast asleep in his crib, breathing softly.
Liana sat in the velvet rocking chair in the corner, her fingers interlaced in her lap. She hadn’t slept. Every creak of the old oak floors, every whistle of the winter wind against the reinforced glass windowpane sounded like an approaching threat.
She knew Matteo suspected her. She had seen the cold, calculating look in his eyes before he stormed out of the room. A man like Matteo Varric did not trust anyone—least of all a stranger who suddenly appeared in his home and seemed to understand his son better than he did.
Clack.
The sound was faint, coming from the balcony outside the nursery window.
Liana froze.
She stood up slowly, her bare feet making no sound against the Persian rug. She crept toward the heavy velvet curtains drawn across the French doors leading to the second-floor balcony.
Through a tiny gap in the fabric, she peered out into the darkness.
A shadow moved across the frosted stone railing.
It wasn't a guard. Estate guards wore standard-issue tactical gear and patrolled in pairs with synchronized boot steps. This figure moved with fluid, predatory silence, draped in dark winter tactical gear, holding something long and metallic in a gloved hand.
A sniper rifle.
Liana’s blood ran cold.
She didn't hesitate. She turned and rushed toward the crib, scooping sleeping baby Nico into her arms just as a shattering explosion ripped through the glass balcony doors.
Crash!
Shards of razor-sharp safety glass exploded across the nursery floor.
“Down!” Liana screamed, dropping flat behind the heavy mahogany frame of the changing table, shielding Nico’s tiny body completely with her own.
Bullets slammed into the nursery walls, punching deep holes through drywall and plaster, showering the room with white dust. The electronic security alarms shrieked to life throughout the entire mansion, strobe lights flashing red and white across the walls.
“Intruders in the west wing! Sector four!” a voice blared over the estate intercom.
From the hallway outside, heavy running footsteps approached at a breakneck speed. The door flew open, and Matteo burst into the room, his Sig Sauer drawn, his face twisted in absolute, feral rage.
He didn't check the perimeter first. His eyes locked instantly on the corner where Liana lay shielding his son.
“Liana!” he shouted, dropping to his knees beside them.
“The balcony!” she gasped, her voice trembling for the first time. “Someone’s out there with a rifle!”
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Matteo didn't waste a second. He fired three rapid shots through the shattered remains of the French doors toward the dark treeline beyond the courtyard, driving the sniper back into cover.
Then he pulled Liana and Nico into his arms, crushing them against his chest as sirens wailed into the freezing night.
