Chapter 4 - The Ultimatum
My heart shattered into a million pieces as I stared at the terrified girl on the screen.
Daniel and Vanessa had anticipated that I would seek out my grandfather's loyalists.
They were using innocent lives as leverage to ensure the cartel deal went through smoothly.
"I am so sorry, Elena," Arthur wept quietly, his hands shaking over the keyboard.
"They told me if I did not completely erase your digital footprint from the servers, she would die."
I placed my uninjured hand gently on Arthur's trembling shoulder.
"You do not have to apologize to me for protecting your child," I told him firmly.
I knew that if I tried to fight Daniel digitally, Arthur's daughter would pay the ultimate price.
I had to surrender myself physically to save her life.
I picked up the heavy desk phone and dialed the extension for the executive penthouse.
Vanessa answered on the first ring, her voice dripping with cruel, venomous arrogance.
"I knew you would eventually run out of places to hide, you little rat," Vanessa sneered.
"Let Arthur's daughter go immediately, and I will walk down to the lobby right now," I demanded.
Vanessa laughed, a sharp, piercing sound that made my stomach turn.
"You are not in a position to negotiate anything, Elena," she taunted.
"You will come to the grand ballroom in five minutes and hand over your founder's badge."
"If you are even one second late, the girl takes a bullet to the brain."
The phone line went dead, leaving a dial tone echoing in the quiet IT office.
I looked at Arthur, who was staring at me with a mixture of hope and devastating guilt.
"I will get her back to you, Arthur," I promised him, my voice filled with a lethal calm.
I turned around and walked out of the office, heading straight for the grand staircase.
I descended into the open atrium of the ballroom, where the emergency lights cast long, bloody shadows.
Vanessa was standing in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by six heavily armed mercenaries.
She wore a stunning designer dress, looking completely out of place amidst the violence.
She held out her perfectly manicured hand, demanding the gold badge.
"You always were too sentimental for the corporate world, Elena," she mocked loudly.
"Give me the badge, or the girl dies."
I took a slow step forward, reaching into my pocket for the heavy gold token.
"You are a monster, Vanessa," I spat fiercely.
She smiled a wicked, terrifying smile and leaned in close to my face.
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"You have no idea," she whispered softly into my ear.
"I am the one who cut the brake lines on your grandfather's car three years ago."
