Chapter 11 - The Phantom Threat
The cold mahogany desk felt like ice beneath my trembling fingertips as I stared at the chilling photograph.
Julian had been standing right outside my home, inches away from the room where my children were sleeping.
I did not scream, and I did not allow the sudden rush of panic to cloud my judgment.
I immediately pressed the silent alarm under my desk, locking down the entire estate within seconds.
Thick steel shutters descended over every window, sealing the house in an impenetrable fortress of security.
My private tactical team swarmed the property, their heavy boots echoing through the quiet halls.
The security chief, a hardened veteran named Vance, burst into my office with his hand on his weapon.
I handed him the black envelope and the photograph without saying a single word.
Vance cursed under his breath, recognizing the face of the man who had orchestrated the original cartel disaster.
He swore to me that the perimeter alarms had never been breached and that the camera feeds showed absolutely nothing.
Julian had bypassed a multi-million-dollar security system as if it were nothing but a child's toy.
I realized then that Julian was not just a greedy coward who had run away when things got dangerous.
He was a highly trained phantom, a dangerous professional who knew exactly how to manipulate the shadows.
Vance immediately doubled the guard detail and placed armed men outside the twins' nursery.
I walked upstairs, watching my beautiful son and daughter sleeping peacefully in their cribs, completely oblivious to the danger.
I placed my hand against the cold glass of the nursery window, staring out into the pitch-black woods surrounding my property.
Julian wanted me to feel hunted, to feel terrified in the one place I was supposed to be safe.
He wanted to break my spirit before he made his demands, just like he had broken his brother Arthur.
I whispered into the dark room, promising my children that no one would ever take them from me.
May you like
I picked up my phone and dialed a number I had hoped I would never have to use again.
It was time to hire someone who operated outside the boundaries of the law.
