Chapter 7
596words
The media had been confined to a designated area. Camera flashes erupted nonstop, capturing every powerful figure as they arrived.
Just as the ceremony was about to begin, a server stepped forward with a carefully wrapped box in his hands.
"Don Galante. Miss Leone." He bowed slightly, his voice steady and formal. "This is a wedding gift from Miss Sophia Vitale. She instructed us to deliver it before the ceremony."
The name Sophia Vitale struck the crowd like a stone dropped into still water. Murmurs rippled outward at once.
Enzo's expression darkened, his gaze locking onto the gift box.
The smile on Monica's face stiffened for a heartbeat, then smoothed over. She tightened her grip on Enzo's arm, her voice gentle and almost gracious. "Don, since it's Sophia's gift, we should open it."
Inside the box lay no jewels and no grotesque curses. Only two items. A plain silver USB drive and a document envelope sealed with red wax.
Monica's heart skipped without warning. A chill traced its way up her spine. She forced herself to remain calm and even stepped forward on her own.
"What's on the drive?" she asked lightly. "Why don't we play it for everyone? Since it's Sophia's goodwill, we should accept it properly."
The estate manager moved at once, took the USB drive, and connected it to the massive high-definition screen in the main hall.
Seconds later, clear surveillance footage of stacks of weapons crates and a maze of pipes filled the screen. A timestamp showed less than ten minutes before the armory explosion.
In the footage, a woman moved with practiced precision, steering clear of standard camera angles. She stopped at a control box, forced it open, and attached a miniature detonator disguised as an ordinary component.
At that exact moment, an infrared camera captured her face in perfect clarity.
It was Monica—the same face now standing before the crowd, arranged into a soft, smiling mask.
The explosion thundered from the speakers. The camera jolted under heat and shock. Alarms wailed, then the screen went black.
The video ended. A suffocating silence seized the opulent hall and held it for more than ten seconds.
Monica reacted first.
"No, this isn't real!" she screamed, her voice sharp enough to shatter the stillness.
She released Enzo's arm, the color draining from her face. The flawless composure she had maintained collapsed, leaving naked panic behind.
"It's fake! This is fake!" she shrieked. "It's Sophia! That vicious woman fabricated this video to frame me! She wants to destroy my happiness!"
She rushed toward Enzo in desperation. "Don, believe me! Look at me! How could I ever do something like that? I love you! I'm carrying your child!"
She reached for him, but he shoved her away.
Enzo felt as if ice water had been poured over him from head to toe. His body shook as the cold sank deep into his bones.
"The footage is right here," he said, his voice trembling under the weight of restraint. "Tell me how this was faked. Tell me."
His gaze burned into her. "It was you. You blew up the armory."
The sheer absurdity of it, along with the fury of such complete betrayal, crashed over him like a tidal wave.
"Say something!" Enzo roared. He seized Monica by the shoulders, his fingers biting in hard enough to bruise.
"Why?" he demanded. "Why did you do it?"
