Chapter 2 - The Escape
The deafening crash of shattered glass echoed through the quiet bank lobby.
Manager Reeves dove under his heavy mahogany desk, screaming in absolute terror.
I did not hesitate for a single second.
I grabbed the cedar box, shoved it deep into my winter coat, and sprinted toward the back exit.
The armed men kicked down the office door just as I slipped into the narrow employee hallway.
"Do not let her out of this building!" a harsh voice yelled from the lobby.
I pushed through the emergency fire exit and burst out into the freezing Chicago alleyway.
The bitter snow whipped against my face as I ran wildly down the narrow street.
I ducked behind a rusted dumpster just as two black SUVs screeched to a halt at the alley entrance.
I held my breath, clutching the wooden box so tightly my knuckles turned completely white.
The men swept the area with their flashlights, cursing loudly before getting back into their vehicles to circle the block.
When the coast was finally clear, I walked three miles through the blizzard to a dingy diner on the edge of town.
I ordered a black coffee and sat in the darkest booth available.
I opened the leather ledger again and began reading through the intricate financial records.
My sister's fiancé, Ethan, was listed on the very next page.
He was not a successful tech entrepreneur like my family proudly bragged.
Ethan was a high-level money launderer working directly for the syndicate, actively helping my father steal the funds.
My phone suddenly buzzed on the sticky diner table.
It was a text message from an unknown number containing a high-resolution photograph.
The picture showed my tiny, private apartment completely ransacked and destroyed.
May you like
A second message appeared immediately underneath the photograph.
"You have something that belongs to me, Claire, and I know exactly where you are sitting right now."
