Chapter 5 - The Inside Traitor
Kiora froze completely, the glowing red laser dot burning a terrifying, inescapable path across her vision.
Jax did not foolishly reach for his concealed weapon, keeping his empty hands perfectly still in the chilly air.
A tall, exceptionally elegantly dressed man stepped forward confidently from the pitch-black darkness of the parking garage.
He clapped his hands together in a slow, highly mocking rhythm that echoed disturbingly off the concrete walls.
"Very impressive and ruthless hacking skills, Kiora," the man said with a remarkably smooth, aristocratic accent.
Kiora gasped loudly, recognizing the handsome, familiar man instantly despite the poor lighting.
It was Marcus, Julian's highly trusted older brother and the chief financial officer of their massive global empire.
"Marcus, thank God you are here, you absolutely have to help us save Julian from these monsters!" Kiora pleaded frantically.
Marcus smiled a shockingly cold, unforgiving smile that absolutely did not reach his dead eyes.
"Why in the world would I save the arrogant brother I actively paid Vanessa to kidnap?" Marcus asked smoothly.
The horrific, world-shattering realization hit Kiora like a physical blow to her fragile chest.
Marcus had meticulously orchestrated the entire hostile takeover from the very beginning of the year.
"You actually betrayed your own flesh and blood for mere money?" Kiora whispered in pure, unadulterated disgust.
"I betrayed him because our aging father foolishly chose his unborn child as the sole corporate heir instead of me," Marcus snarled viciously.
Marcus signaled swiftly to his armed guards, who immediately confiscated the tactical laptop and Kiora's encrypted phone.
"You aggressively drained my accounts, little girl, but you can reverse the transfer right now," Marcus demanded threateningly.
Kiora lifted her chin defiantly, absolutely refusing to show a single ounce of weakness or fear to this traitor.
"I will never give you the digital keys to that money, Marcus."
Marcus sighed heavily in dramatic annoyance, smoothly pulling a suppressed pistol from his tailored designer jacket.
He aimed the deadly weapon directly at the scarred driver standing protectively beside her.
"Reverse the digital transfer immediately, Kiora, or Jax dies right here on this dirty floor," Marcus threatened coldly.
Kiora hesitated painfully, completely torn between protecting her husband's empire and sacrificing an innocent man's life.
Suddenly, a deafening, massive explosion rocked the concrete floor above them, showering the garage with thick, choking dust.
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The concrete ceiling cracked wide open, and a heavy tactical smoke grenade dropped directly between the opposing groups.
Through the blinding, suffocating white smoke, a terrifyingly familiar silhouette dropped down gracefully from the shattered ceiling.
