Chapter 1 - The Empty Desk
I gripped the steering wheel and screamed until my throat tasted like copper.
Ten years of my life and loyalty were erased in a single five-minute conversation.
I wiped my stinging eyes and stared blankly at the rearview mirror for a long time.
My chest was still heaving heavily from the adrenaline of the disastrous morning rush.
Then I suddenly remembered my personal external hard drive was still plugged into my desktop.
That small black drive held thousands of irreplaceable photos of my twin daughters.
It also contained my tax records, my personal journals, and every portfolio piece I had ever built.
I absolutely could not let Nick or the company keep it.
I waited in my hot car until the lunch hour finally approached.
I knew the main office floor would be mostly empty while the staff went out to eat.
I slipped quietly through the back maintenance stairwell and swiped my security badge.
I held my breath as the electronic card reader processed my credentials.
The green light flashed brightly, meaning human resources had not deactivated my access yet.
I crept through the silent maze of gray cubicles toward my old corner desk.
My heart pounded furiously against my ribs with every step I took.
When I finally reached my workspace, my computer monitor and hard drive were completely gone.
In their place sat a single, heavy black envelope with my name written in elegant silver ink.
I looked around nervously to see if anyone was hiding and watching me.
The entire floor was deserted and completely silent.
I tore the thick paper open and found a high-end business card inside.
It contained a local phone number and a single typed phrase.
The ominous note told me to call the number immediately if I wanted to get my life back.
I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the digits with shaking hands.
A woman answered the line on the very first ring.
"Hello, Sebastian," she said in a smooth, perfectly calm voice.
May you like
I recognized that distinct, melodic voice immediately.
It was the same woman who had supposedly been dying in my arms on the side of the highway just three hours ago.
