Chapter 1 - The Betrayal on Screen
I stared at the glowing screen of the tablet in absolute horror.
The man’s voice coming from the recorded video was unmistakable.
It was my older brother, David.
"Just lock her in the dark until she stops crying, Vanessa," David's voice echoed from the small speaker.
My stomach twisted into a violent knot as I processed the depth of the betrayal.
David was my business partner, my best friend, and the godfather to both of my children.
I slowly looked up from the screen and locked eyes with my wife.
The shock on her face quickly melted into a cold, calculated glare.
"You were never supposed to see that," Vanessa whispered, her voice dangerously calm.
She reached her hand deeper into her expensive leather purse.
"Daddy, I'm scared," Lily whimpered, burying her wet face into my neck.
I tightened my grip on my daughter and instinctively shoved Ethan behind my back.
"What is going on here, Vanessa?" I demanded, my heart pounding against my ribs.
"You work eighty hours a week to build your company, Marcus," she replied, pulling her hand out of the bag.
"David and I simply found a way to secure our own futures without waiting for you."
The cold steel of a black handgun gleamed under the dining room chandelier.
She pointed the barrel directly at my chest.
"Put the girl down and slide the tablet across the floor," she ordered.
I felt Ethan's small, trembling hands gripping the back of my shirt.
I knew that if I surrendered the evidence, none of us would make it out of this house alive.
I pretended to lower Lily to the floor, bending my knees slowly.
With a sudden burst of adrenaline, I grabbed the edge of the heavy oak dining table and flipped it upward.
The wood crashed between us just as a gunshot shattered the silence.
Wood splinters rained down on my shoulders as the bullet tore through the table.
"Run to the garage!" I screamed at Ethan, scooping Lily back up into my arms.
We scrambled through the kitchen as Vanessa cursed loudly behind us.
I slammed the heavy fire door shut and quickly engaged the deadbolt.
I strapped the kids into the backseat of my SUV with shaking hands.
I jumped into the driver's seat and jammed my finger against the push-to-start button.
The engine clicked once, but the dashboard remained completely dark.
I tried again, but the vehicle was completely dead.
May you like
Then, a slow, mocking clap echoed from the dark corner of the garage.
I turned around to see David stepping out from the shadows, holding a pair of heavy wire cutters.
