“Sofia, watch the doorway,” Marcus ordered.

“Doctor, see if you can neutralize whatever is in his system,” he added, turning back to the bed.

Luca turned his back on them, walking toward the window to stare out into the rainy night.

I took a slow, silent step backward into the shadows of the doorway.

No one looked at me.

Their attention was fixed on the dying man and the broken glass on the floor.

I slipped out into the corridor, letting the darkness swallow me.

The hallway was long and cold, lined with the painted faces of past Romano bosses.

The wall sconces flickered, casting long, dancing shadows on the heavy carpet.

I walked quickly, my soft-soled maid shoes making no sound against the floor.

I reached the service stairs at the far end of the wing and opened the heavy wooden door.

The air grew instantly colder as I descended into the basement.

The smell of damp stone, laundry soap, and old coal dust washed over me.

The basement was a labyrinth of brick arches and locked storage rooms, stretching beneath the entire mansion.