Chapter 6 - The Unlikely Alliance
Victoria sprinted down the narrow hallway, her high heels clicking frantically against the polished marble floor.
She could hear the heavy footsteps of Marcus and her father's private security team pounding right behind her.
She desperately needed a place to hide, but the entire executive floor was completely locked down.
She ducked into a small utility closet, holding her breath in the suffocating darkness as the guards rushed past the door.
She pulled out her phone, intending to call the police, but the cellular signal was completely jammed.
Her father had activated the building's emergency security protocols, effectively turning the tower into a massive prison.
There was only one person who had enough external power and resources to stop Richard's insane plan.
She had to break Daniel Torres out of federal custody before he was transferred to a black site.
Victoria crawled through the ventilation shaft, a trick she had learned as a rebellious teenager exploring the building.
She dropped down into the underground parking garage, miraculously avoiding the roaming security patrols.
She stole a maintenance van and sped out into the chaotic city streets, heading directly toward the federal holding facility.
When she arrived, she expected a massive fortress heavily guarded by armed soldiers.
Instead, she found Daniel casually standing on the sidewalk outside the precinct, wearing a fresh tailored suit.
He was calmly drinking a cup of premium coffee while his team of aggressive lawyers hovered nearby.
"You really thought federal agents could hold me for more than an hour?" Daniel asked smugly as she slammed the brakes.
Victoria jumped out of the van, her designer clothes covered in thick dust and dark grease stains.
"My father is the one who framed me, and he framed you too," she panted, struggling to catch her breath.
Daniel's smug expression instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sharp, calculated intensity.
"I know," Daniel replied quietly, stepping closer to her.
"I let myself get arrested so my legal team could legally access the federal database and trace the encrypted wire transfers."
Victoria stared at him in sheer amazement, realizing he was playing a completely different level of chess.
"He is planning to liquidate the stolen patents tonight and disappear," Victoria warned him urgently.
"Then we have exactly three hours to break back into your tower and steal the physical hard drives from his private vault," Daniel stated.
He opened the passenger door of a waiting armored SUV and gestured for her to get inside.
"Are you ready to destroy your own father, Victoria?" he asked seriously.
Victoria looked back at the city skyline, her heart hardening against the man who had completely betrayed her.
"Drive the car, Daniel," she commanded fiercely.
As they sped away, Daniel's chief lawyer received a terrifying text message on his encrypted phone.
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"Mr. Torres, we have a massive problem," the lawyer announced, his voice trembling with fear.
"Richard didn't just steal the company patents, he officially sold them to the Russian mob, and their heavily armed clean-up crew is currently waiting for you inside the building."
