Chapter 1 - The Study
Grandpa unlocked the heavy mahogany door of his private study.
He walked inside without looking back to see if we were following.
Mom grabbed my arm tightly, her fingernails digging painfully into my skin.
"Don't say anything stupid, Amelia," she hissed under her breath.
I pulled my arm away and walked past her into the room.
Ava trailed behind us, dragging her feet like a terrified child.
Grandpa sat down in his large leather chair and placed his phone flat on the desk.
The screen was still glowing with a bright digital map.
"Sit down," he ordered, his voice echoing in the quiet room.
Ava slowly lowered herself into the chair across from him, her hands shaking visibly.
Mom stood directly behind Ava, placing her hands on my sister's shoulders like a protective shield.
I remained standing near the bookshelf, perfectly content to watch the lies unravel.
Grandpa tapped the screen of his phone, zooming in on a specific red pinpoint.
"You told me you were driving near the edge of town to look at farmhouse renovations," Grandpa said smoothly.
Ava swallowed hard, unable to look him in the eye.
"Yes, sir," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Grandpa turned the phone around so we could all see the detailed satellite image.
"This red dot is your exact location at two o'clock in the morning on Thursday," he stated.
I leaned forward, recognizing the industrial landscape immediately.
The tracker showed the white SUV parked outside an abandoned shipyard known for illegal underground gambling.
Mom's face lost every ounce of color, and her hands dropped from Ava's shoulders.
"There must be a glitch in the software," Mom stammered quickly.
Grandpa ignored her entirely, his sharp eyes fixed solely on my younger sister.
"I didn't just install a GPS module, Ava," he continued in a dangerous tone.
"I installed a full security suite with interior cabin audio recording."
Ava gasped loudly, covering her mouth with both of her trembling hands.
Grandpa pressed a button on his keyboard, and a chilling audio clip filled the room.
May you like
Ava's recorded voice echoed clearly, crying and pleading with a man whose voice was deeply distorted.
"I promise I will bring you the deed to the estate by Sunday," Ava sobbed on the recording.
