Chapter 3 - The Syndicate
The masked intruders fanned out across the living room in perfect, terrifying synchronization.
Agent Vance immediately shifted his aim, but one of the thugs was much faster.
A heavily suppressed gunshot echoed with a dull, sickening thud.
Agent Vance groaned in pain as a bullet grazed his right shoulder, forcing him to drop his weapon onto the rug.
Julian let out a desperate, hysterical laugh that sounded entirely unhinged.
"You really thought you could outsmart me, Elena?" Julian mocked cruelly.
"I knew the feds were watching me, which is why I called in my private associates the moment we left the airport."
Chloe sobbed uncontrollably, clutching her fussy baby tightly against her trembling chest.
"Julian, please, just give them the money and let us leave," she begged miserably.
The lead intruder stepped forward, his cold, dead eyes locked directly onto Julian.
"There is no money, ma'am," the masked man growled in a thick, menacing Russian accent.
"Your husband lost ten million dollars of our boss's money in a spectacularly failed crypto scheme."
Chloe's face went completely pale as the horrifying reality finally set in.
She had abandoned her entire life to become the spoiled mistress of a wealthy businessman.
Now, she realized she had attached herself to a dead man walking.
Julian held up his hands defensively, sweating profusely under the harsh living room lights.
"I have the money," Julian lied smoothly, falling back on his practiced corporate charm.
"It is locked in a secure offshore account, and I just need my laptop to transfer it to you immediately."
The Russian thug stepped closer and violently pressed the hot barrel of his rifle against Julian's forehead.
"We already checked your accounts, Julian," the thug stated flatly.
"They are completely empty."
Julian swallowed hard, his arrogant facade finally crumbling to dust before my eyes.
He slowly turned his gaze toward me, his eyes filled with a desperate, pathetic plea for salvation.
"Elena, you have to help me," he whimpered loudly.
"Mother had a secret wall safe somewhere in this house, didn't she?"
I maintained my icy composure, refusing to show even a hint of fear to the armed men.
"Even if she did, I would never give it to you," I replied firmly.
The Russian thug suddenly turned his dangerous attention away from Julian and focused entirely on me.
He grabbed my arm forcefully and pulled me roughly toward the center of the room.
"You will open the safe right now, or I will kill your husband," the intruder threatened menacingly.
May you like
I looked him dead in the eye and smiled as coldly as I possibly could.
"Go ahead," I said without a single trace of hesitation.
