Chapter 8 - The Steel Trap
A massive steel blast door slammed down from the ceiling, separating the kitchen from the hallway.
Vanessa screamed in shock as her escape route was instantly crushed.
The entire mansion was bathed in a flashing red emergency light.
"Computer, seal sectors four through nine!" Marcus yelled, his voice hoarse.
An automated female voice echoed from the hidden ceiling speakers.
"Sectors sealed. Intruder isolated in the west corridor," the voice announced calmly.
Marcus leaned against the counter, still shaking from the stun gun.
"I initiated the maximum security protocol from my smartwatch when I fell," he panted.
I clutched my bleeding arm, trying to stand up despite the dizziness.
"Is Lily trapped in there with her?" I asked, sheer panic consuming my mind.
"Yes, but Vanessa cannot move," Marcus assured me.
He limped over to a hidden panel in the wall and punched in a code.
A small screen illuminated, showing the narrow hallway where Vanessa was trapped.
She was frantically hitting the heavy steel doors with her bare hands.
Lily was crying in the corner, thankfully unhurt.
"Let me out of here, Marcus!" Vanessa screamed at the security camera.
"You are going to spend the rest of your life in a federal prison," Marcus said into the intercom.
Vanessa stopped hitting the door and looked directly into the camera lens.
A chilling, chaotic smile spread across her beautiful face.
"I might go to prison, but you are going to be completely broke by morning," she laughed.
She pulled out a small black tablet from her designer bag.
"While Marta was distracted, I successfully copied the encryption keys you typed," she revealed.
She tapped a button on the screen.
"I just transferred every single penny of your liquid assets to an untraceable offshore account," she sneered.
Marcus stared at the screen, realizing his entire empire had just been stolen in a matter of seconds.
Vanessa had successfully ruined him.
"You lose, Marcus," she mocked, blowing a kiss to the camera.
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But then, a small voice echoed from the corner of the trapped hallway.
"Mommy, the bad lady dropped this," Lily said.
