She accidentally sent her resignation letter to the billionaire owner—and he called before she could unsend it

The horrifying reality of Peter's masterful plan hung heavily in the quiet air of the mountain cabin.

Edward's face went completely pale, a rare display of genuine fear from the usually incredibly stoic billionaire.

"My grandfather hid a massive collection of unregistered, priceless antiquities securely in the basement of our abandoned coastal estate," Edward revealed grimly.

"If Peter has those confidential maps, he can bypass the archaic security traps and safely steal artifacts worth billions of dollars on the black market," Mara deduced rapidly.

"The estate is located on a private peninsula entirely cut off from the mainland, meaning the police will never reach him in time," Edward stated, already moving toward the door.

Mara did not hesitate for a second, immediately grabbing her coat and following him down into the underground garage.

They completely bypassed the sports car and instead climbed into a heavily modified, armored tactical SUV completely equipped for extreme off-road driving.

Edward drove with terrifying, reckless speed, tearing down the winding mountain roads and heading directly toward the jagged coastline.

Mara spent the intense two-hour drive heavily reviewing the digital copies of the estate maps on Edward’s encrypted tablet.

"The main entrance is a fortified steel door, but there is a totally forgotten smuggler's tunnel connecting the beach directly to the basement," Mara pointed out on the glowing screen.

"Peter will absolutely use the tunnel to completely avoid triggering the exterior motion sensors," Edward agreed, his jaw clenched tightly.

They arrived at the edge of the private peninsula just as a massive, incredibly violent thunderstorm began rolling in from the dark ocean.

Edward parked the SUV deep in the coastal forest, entirely hiding the vehicle from the sight of anyone near the estate.

They heavily navigated the treacherous, rain-slicked cliffs on foot, the roaring waves violently crashing against the rocks far below them.

Mara slipped heavily on the wet moss, completely losing her footing, but Edward caught her waist instantly and pulled her safely against his chest.

They finally reached the hidden entrance to the smuggler's tunnel, which was partially beautifully concealed by thick, hanging vines.

The heavy iron grate covering the tunnel had already been entirely cut away with a highly specialized thermal blowtorch.

"He is already inside, and he has an incredibly heavy head start," Edward whispered, drawing his weapon and stepping into the dark cavern.

They crept completely silently through the damp, narrow tunnel, relying entirely on the dim light of Edward’s tactical flashlight.

The tunnel slowly opened into a massive, cavernous stone basement filled entirely with wooden crates, covered statues, and priceless oil paintings.

Standing in the absolute center of the room was Peter Maddox, furiously ordering four armed mercenaries to load the artifacts into heavy waterproof bags.

"You are far too late, Edward, my boat is waiting just outside the rocky cove," Peter gloated loudly, his voice echoing terribly off the stone walls.

Edward stepped boldly out of the shadows, aiming his gun directly at his treacherous former employee.

"You are not leaving this island, Peter, and you are certainly not taking my family's legacy," Edward declared with terrifying authority.

Peter laughed cruelly, completely unbothered by the deadly weapon pointed squarely at his chest.

"I figured you would be stubborn enough to follow me, which is exactly why I brought some extra insurance," Peter sneered, snapping his fingers loudly.

One of the heavy wooden crates in the far corner was violently kicked open from the inside.

Two heavily armed mercenaries ruthlessly dragged a terrified, firmly bound, and gagged woman entirely out of the wooden box.