Chapter 8 - The Golden Child's Secret
The heavy knocking rattled the apartment door again, much louder this time.
Camille let out a terrified whimper and curled into a tight ball on the sofa.
I walked silently toward the entryway and peered through the small brass peephole.
Two massive men in cheap suits were standing in the hallway, looking impatient and angry.
I recognized one of them from the security camera footage at the logistics company.
They had been following me since the moment I landed in Sacramento.
My parents had literally sold my location and my new corporate status to violent criminals.
"Open the door, Marlo," a gruff voice demanded through the wood. "Your father sent us."
I backed away quietly and grabbed my phone, immediately dialing 911.
I whispered our exact location and stated that armed men were attempting to break into the apartment.
Then I called Ingrid in New York.
She answered on the first ring, having just read Camille's confession email.
"Marlo, the board has cleared you entirely, but what is going on?" Ingrid asked urgently.
"My parents sold me out to a gambling syndicate, and they are outside my door right now," I explained quickly.
Ingrid did not panic; she simply switched into complete corporate warfare mode.
"Halden Vale has private security contractors in Sacramento," Ingrid said coldly.
"I am dispatching an armed response team to your location right now, just hold them off."
The wood frame of the apartment door began to splinter loudly as the men started kicking the lock.
I grabbed a heavy bronze lamp from the side table and stood ready to defend my sister.
"I am so sorry I forged the documents," Camille cried from the floor.
"I never wanted to be the golden child, I just wanted them to stop using me!"
The deadbolt finally snapped with a sharp crack, and the door swung open violently.
The two men stepped inside, pulling heavy steel batons from their jackets.
"You are coming with us to sign some very lucrative corporate bonds," the larger man sneered.
Suddenly, the deafening wail of police sirens filled the street outside the apartment window.
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The men froze, realizing their silent extraction had just turned into a highly public disaster.
"Forget the bonds, just grab her phone and laptop!" the second man yelled, lunging toward me.
