The grand ballroom of the Sterling Estate was a masterclass in calculated opulence. Every surface gleamed with an artificial, yet entirely captivating, brilliance.

The maintenance corridor was cold and smelled of damp stone. Vivienne kicked off her designer heels, moving silently in her bare feet. She was not a victim. She was the architect of this fortress, and Marcus was now trapped inside her maze.

She reached a secondary security panel on the wall, illuminating it with the dim light of her smartphone. She accessed the internal camera feed.

Marcus was pacing the study, using a tactical flashlight attached to his weapon. He looked panicked. The steel shutters had sealed him in, but he would eventually find the bookshelf panel.

Vivienne tapped a command on the screen. She unlocked the heavy oak door of the study, giving him an exit into the main hallway of the Manor.

She watched on the screen as Marcus cautiously pushed the door open and stepped into the grand foyer.

Vivienne moved through the hidden corridors, tracking his movements. She was guiding him.

Marcus moved toward the grand staircase, his flashlight beam slicing through the darkness. The Manor was eerily silent.

"You can't hide forever, Vivienne!" Marcus shouted, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings. "The backup generators will kick in soon!"

Vivienne reached a vent overlooking the foyer. She pulled a small, heavy object from her pocket—a solid gold paperweight she had grabbed from her desk.

She tossed it through the vent. It clattered loudly against the marble floor on the opposite side of the foyer.

Marcus spun around, firing two shots at the sound.

In that moment of distraction, Vivienne activated the Manor’s automated defense grid from her phone. It was a system designed to deter armed intruders—a series of high-intensity, military-grade strobe lights and ultrasonic acoustic emitters hidden in the chandeliers.

The foyer erupted in blinding, chaotic flashes of white light, accompanied by a deafening, high-pitched screech that felt like needles piercing the eardrums.

Marcus dropped to his knees, screaming, dropping his weapon to cover his ears. He was completely blinded and disoriented.

Vivienne slipped out of a hidden panel at the base of the stairs. She didn't hesitate. She picked up Marcus’s dropped pistol, walking calmly toward her former head of security.

She stood over him, the strobe lights flashing across her cold, unyielding face.

She pressed the cold barrel of the gun against the back of his head.