She Knocked the Poisoned Wine From the Mafia Boss’s Hand and His Fiancée Ordered Her Arrested Before the Glass Stopped Rolling

Dominic didn't flinch. He didn't lower his weapon, nor did he look up at the blinding light. He simply stepped sideways, placing his broad frame directly between the spotlight and Claire, shielding her behind his body.

"Evelyn," Dominic said, his voice ringing through the damp vault like a bronze bell. "I see you didn't stay at the house to comfort your father."

A man stepped into the spotlight beside Evelyn. He was an older man with silver hair, wearing a tailored cashmere coat over a pristine suit—Senator Richard Mercer. Behind him stood six heavily armed men carrying silenced submachine guns.

"My daughter told me you were soft, Dominic," Senator Mercer said, his booming political voice echoing off the stone arches. "I didn't believe her at first. You built an empire that spanned three states. But leaving your mansion during a federal search to chase a few barrels of cargo? That was remarkably foolish."

"The state troopers at my gate were a distraction," Dominic noted, his tone devoid of fear. "You leaked the warrant yourself to force my hand."

"Of course we did," Evelyn laughed, stepping up to the iron railing. "We knew you had a secret tunnel connecting the estate to the docks—my uncle spent two years cataloging your subterranean infrastructure. We knew the moment you realized the wine was poisoned, you would seek the evidence to destroy us. We just had to wait at the end of the maze for the rat to emerge."

Evelyn’s gaze drifted past Dominic’s shoulder, locking onto Claire, who was crouching in the shadows behind him.

"And you brought your little sommelier," Evelyn sneered, her eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "How pathetic. Did she smell our little surprise, Dominic? Is that why you kept her alive? To use her like a hunting dog?"

Claire felt her blood boil. The fear that had gripped her all night suddenly gave way to a cold, burning rage. She stepped out from behind Dominic’s back, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him under the harsh light.

"I smelled your poison because you're sloppy, Evelyn," Claire called out, her voice loud and clear, echoing off the stone walls. "You used cheap synthetic oleander to mask the bitter almond odor of the cyanide. Anyone with half a brain and a basic knowledge of botany could have caught you. You aren't a mastermind. You're just a spoiled brat playing with chemicals she doesn't understand."

Evelyn’s smile instantly vanished, her face twisting into a mask of pure rage. "Kill her!" she screamed to the armed guards. "Kill them both right now!"

"Wait!" Senator Mercer ordered, raising a hand. He looked down at Dominic with cold, calculating eyes. "Dominic, you are a practical man. Your shipping routes and port access are worth hundreds of millions. Sign the transfer agreements over to the Mercer Holdings Corporation, and I will ensure your death is quick. Refuse, and my men will take their time with the girl first."

Dominic let out a low, dark laugh that chilled the air in the vault.

"Senator," Dominic said, slowly raising his left hand to reveal a tiny, glowing green light on his wrist watch. "Do you know why I brought Claire here?"

Senator Mercer frowned. "What?"

"I didn't bring her here to find your cargo," Dominic said softly. "I brought her here to confirm the chemical signature for the live feed."

Dominic clicked a button on his watch.

Above them, the heavy iron roof hatches of the St. Jude Monastery exploded inward with a deafening CRACK of shattering glass and shearing steel.

Black-clad tactical operators descended on high-speed cables through the roof, flashbang grenades raining down onto the catwalks.

The vault erupted into blinding white light and thunderous explosions.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The Mercer guards were knocked off their feet by the concussive force. Senator Mercer screamed as he was tackled to the floor by three armed operators wearing federal tactical gear.

Evelyn stumbled backward, dropping her clutch as she tried to reach the catwalk emergency stairs.

Dominic moved with terrifying speed. He didn't wait for the tactical team. He lunged forward, grabbed Claire around the waist, and pulled her down behind a massive stack of oak casks as bullets ripped through the air above them, splintering the wood and releasing geysers of raw chemical precursor.

"Dominic!" Claire gasped, clinging to his jacket as the deafening noise of gunfire echoed through the stone chamber.

"Stay down!" Dominic ordered, his arm locked around her waist like a steel band.

Across the vault, the federal tactical commander’s voice roared through a megaphoned speaker: "FEDERAL AGENTS! DROP YOUR WEAPONS! THIS BUILDING IS SECURED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AND THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION!"

Claire looked through the gap between two barrels. She saw Senator Mercer being pinned to the iron catwalk, his face pressed against the cold metal, plastic zip-ties being pulled tight around his wrists.

Evelyn was screaming, thrashing wildly as two female federal agents dragged her down the stairs toward the main floor.

As Evelyn passed the barrel stack where Dominic and Claire were crouching, her eyes locked onto Claire. Her hair was wild, her makeup ruined by sweat and tears.

"You bitch!" Evelyn shrieked, her voice cracking with hysteria. "You ruined everything! You were supposed to be nothing! You're just a servant!"