Chapter 3 - The Basement Interrogation
Ethan instantly sprinted toward the bedroom to shield his daughter.
The men inside the suite grabbed him from behind, dragging him away from Lily.
Briggs ordered one of the guards to lock the screaming child inside the bedroom.
Ethan fought fiercely, but a heavy blow to the back of his head sent him crashing to the carpet.
When he opened his eyes, he was strapped to a metal chair in the hotel's windowless basement security office.
His head was throbbing, and his only thought was the safety of his daughter.
The heavy metal door swung open, and Marcus Thorne walked into the damp room.
Marcus adjusted his expensive tailored suit and stared down at Ethan with sheer disgust.
He assumed Ethan was just a mid-level corporate spy sent by the board of directors.
Marcus proudly confessed that his men were currently tearing the penthouse apart to find Ethan's investigative notes.
Ethan remained silent, his cold gaze piercing right through the corrupt general manager.
He asked Marcus exactly what he had done with Lily.
Marcus smiled and said the girl was currently being watched by hotel staff until Child Protective Services arrived.
He claimed he was going to report Ethan for endangering a minor by bringing her into a violent altercation.
The sheer audacity of the threat made Ethan's jaw clench in raw anger.
Marcus demanded that Ethan hand over the password to his encrypted smartphone.
He wanted to delete any photos or emails Ethan might have sent to corporate headquarters.
When Ethan refused, Marcus snatched the phone from the table and pressed the power button to look at the lock screen.
The screen lit up, displaying a bright, beautiful photograph of Ethan, Lily, and Sarah smiling together.
Marcus instantly dropped the phone as if it had caught fire.
All the color drained from the corrupt manager's face in a matter of seconds.
He recognized the woman in the photograph immediately.
Sarah Vance had been the ruthless CEO of the rival hospitality firm that had fired Marcus five years ago.
Marcus stepped back, suddenly realizing that this man was Sarah's widower.
He began laughing maniacally, realizing fate had brought his sworn enemy's family right into his trap.
Marcus leaned in close and whispered that he was going to make sure Ethan never saw his daughter again.
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Suddenly, the security radio on Briggs's shoulder crackled to life with a panicked voice.
The guard stationed outside the penthouse reported that someone had just breached the suite.
