Page 36 of The Omega Accountant

The calculated cruelty of the strategy struck me with physical force—not just elimination or intimidation, but weaponization of the bond that now connectedMatteoand me beyond legal documentation.

"Matteo knows the risks,"Icountered, though uncertainty threaded through my conviction. "He'sincreased security, limited access?—"

"He doesn't know about the infiltrators,"Silviainterrupted, urgency making her uncharacteristically abrupt. "They'vealready compromised his inner circle.Thesame people who sabotaged your suppressants have access to this building, this floor, possibly this very room."

The revelation stole my breath momentarily.IfSilviawas right—if security had been compromised beyond what we'd already discovered—then the fortressMatteohad constructed around us was already breached, the protection he'd sacrificed his birthright to maintain already failing.

"We need to tell him,"Isaid, reaching for my phone. "Carlocan increase?—"

"Carlo is the one who granted the access,"Silviacut in, her words landing like physical blows. "He'sbeen working with theSouzasfor months.Matteo'sconsigliere, his most trusted advisor, is the one who arranged your suppressant sabotage."

The accusation againstCarlo—the beta who had guarded my door during heat, who had stood atMatteo'sright hand through every confrontation—seemed impossible, contradicting everythingI'dobserved about loyalty within theCorvinoorganization.

Yet as denial formed on my lips, something else surfaced from memory—Carlo'scareful neutrality whenDonCorvinohad issued his ultimatum, the way his eyes had tracked financial data without surprise when we'd uncovered connections toSouzaholdings.Smallmoments of dissonanceI'dattributed to beta caution rather than hidden allegiance.

The betrayal explained whyMatteo'ssecurity precautions hadn't gone further.He'dmoved me to his office based onCarlo'sassurances that the floor remained secure, that the threat existed primarily from outside forces rather than from within his inner circle.Matteohad trusted his consigliere's assessment of our safety—a trustCarlohad deliberately cultivated to keep me accessible.

"You're certain?"Iasked, needing absolute confirmation before believing such fundamental betrayal.

"Marco intercepted communications himself,"Silviareplied, pulling out her phone and showing me encrypted message logs with timestamps from earlier that day. "Hesent these to me directly fromCarlo'ssecured channel to theSouzalieutenant.They'replanning to take you tonight, during the security shift change.Useyou to forceMatteointo compliance, or worse."

"Worse?"Thequestion emerged despite knowingIwouldn't want the answer.

"Force-bond you to aSouzaalpha after breaking your current claim," she said flatly, giving voice to the horror she'd previously cloaked in euphemism. "Makeyou a permanent hostage againstCorvinointerests, your biochemistry weaponized against your will."

A wave of nausea crashed over me, my hand rising unconsciously to touch the bond-bite—Matteo'sclaim, now mingled permanently in my biochemistry.Force-breaking a claim required barbaric measures—chemical antagonists that triggered rejection responses, physical trauma to the bonding site, psychological manipulation that left permanent scars on both mind and body.

"There's a car waiting three blocks west,"Silviacontinued, words emerging rapid-fire now that she'd conveyed the fundamental threat. "Marcowill drive you to a safe house outside the city.JustuntilMatteocan secure better protection, establish independent territory beyondSouzareach."

The plan—clearly formulated with care, with genuine concern for my safety—hung between us like smoke, obscuring clear sight of consequences, of alternatives, of what such a departure would mean forMatteoand the sacrifice he'd already made on my behalf.

"I can't just leave him,"Isaid, the protest emerging from some place deeper than conscious thought. "Notwithout warning, without explanation."

"If you stay, you become the weapon they use to destroy him,"Silviacountered, harsh truth delivered with sisterly bluntness. "Isthat what you want?Forthe sacrifice he's already made to be for nothing?"

The question struck with precision, targeting exactly the fear that had lurked beneath my calm exterior since overhearingDonCorvino'sultimatum.Matteohad already chosen me over family legacy, over birthright, over the name that defined his place in our hierarchical world.Whatright didIhave to make that sacrifice meaningless by becoming the very vulnerability our enemies would exploit?

"I need five minutes,"Isaid finally, decision crystallizing through necessity rather than desire. "Topack essentials.Leavea message."

Relief transformedSilvia'sexpression, softening the tension that had hardened her features into unfamiliar patterns. "I'llwait by the service elevator.Marcois monitoring the security feed, creating a loop that will mask our departure."

She squeezed my hands once more before slipping from the conference room, her movements carrying the efficient purpose that had defined her since childhood—practical solutions to impossible problems, protection offered without fanfare or need for acknowledgment.

Alone,Ipressed my palms against my eyes, feeling the tremorI'dsuccessfully concealed fromSilvia'swatchful gaze.Theclaiming mark at my neck pulsed with phantom sensation—Matteo'sbite, his scent permanently altering my biochemistry, the bond between us still new and incompletely understood yet already essential in waysIhadn't anticipated.

To leave meant risking that bond, straining connections still forming between us.Tostay meant risking far worse—becoming the instrument ofMatteo'sdestruction, the vulnerability enemies would exploit without mercy or restraint.

I moved through the office with forced calm, gathering only what couldn't be replaced—the encrypted drive containing our financial evidence, personal identification documents, the emergency suppressantsMatteohad stored in my desk drawer after the sabotage incident.Materialnecessities that masked the more profound loss accompanying my departure.

At the workstation we'd shared through days of investigation,Ipaused, fingers hovering over the keyboard as words formed and reformed in my mind.WhatcouldIpossibly write that would explain without endangering, that would convey the complexity of what drove me away without compromising the security of whereIwas going?

In the end, simplicity seemed the only option:

Thank you.Don'tlose everything for me.I'llcontact you when safe.

The message—woefully inadequate yet allIdared commit to writing—stared back from the monitor, cursor blinking with metronome steadiness while my pulse raced with anything but regularity.Icouldn't risk more specific explanation, couldn't indicateSilvia'sinvolvement orCarlo'ssuspected betrayal.Anythingbeyond this bare acknowledgment might create additional danger forMatteoonce my absence was discovered.

I gathered my small bundle of necessities, moving toward the service elevator whereSilviawaited with controlled impatience evident in her posture.Theclaiming mark at my neck throbbed with each step away from the territoryMatteohad established around us both—biological recognition of separation from alpha that transcended conscious control.

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