Chapter 3 - The Ransom Note
Elena stared at her phone screen in absolute disbelief.
Victoria was taking Billy out of the country.
She immediately ran out to her car and sped toward the local police precinct.
She rushed into the chaotic lobby, demanding to see the detective in charge of Mark's case.
A tired-looking detective with graying hair finally agreed to view the footage on her phone.
He watched the video of Victoria confessing her plan to cross the border.
"This changes everything," the detective muttered, immediately picking up his radio.
He ordered the release of Mark Vance and issued a statewide amber alert for Billy's safe return.
Ten minutes later, Mark sprinted out of the holding cell and pulled Elena into a tight embrace.
"Where is my son?" he asked frantically.
Elena showed him the live tracking dot from the stuffed bear's GPS chip.
"They are heading toward the private airfield on the edge of town," she explained.
Mark grabbed her hand, and they ran to his sports car in the precinct parking lot.
He pushed the engine to its absolute limit, weaving recklessly through the highway traffic.
"She won't get away with this," Mark vowed, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel.
They crashed through the chain-link gate of the private airfield just as a sleek black jet began to taxi down the runway.
Mark slammed on the brakes, blocking the airplane's path with his car.
He and Elena leaped out of the vehicle and ran toward the boarding stairs.
The cabin door slowly swung open, but Victoria was not standing there.
Instead, a tall man in a dark suit stepped onto the platform holding a sealed envelope.
It was Mark's trusted corporate lawyer, Richard.
Richard walked down the stairs and handed the envelope directly to Mark.
"Victoria sends her regards," the lawyer sneered.
Mark tore open the envelope, his hands shaking violently.
Inside was a perfectly drafted contract transferring total ownership of his billion-dollar tech company to Victoria.
Pinned to the contract was a single lock of Billy's blond hair.
"Sign it right now, or the boy disappears forever," Richard threatened coldly.
Mark pulled a pen from his pocket without a second of hesitation.
Before the pen could touch the paper, Elena snatched the document from his hands.
"Look at the watermarks, Mark," she whispered urgently.
Mark looked closer at the paper and felt all the blood drain from his face.
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The legal documents were not drafted by Victoria at all.
They bore the official corporate seal of Mark's own father, a man who had supposedly died ten years ago.
