Chapter 2 - The Runaway Heiress
Victoria did not hesitate for a single second.
Her survival instincts, honed by years of ruthless corporate backstabbing, instantly kicked in.
She grabbed the designer handbag from the floor, snatched Maya into her arms, and bolted toward the VIP elevators.
The heavy gold doors were just beginning to close as the uniformed men spotted them.
"Hey!" one of the men shouted, drawing his weapon right in the middle of the crowded lobby.
Screams erupted as the wealthy guests scattered, diving behind velvet couches and marble pillars.
Victoria threw herself into the elevator, slamming her fist against the express button for the penthouse.
The doors clicked shut just as a bullet shattered the outer glass panel, raining sharp fragments at their feet.
Maya buried her face in Victoria's shoulder, trembling uncontrollably.
"It's okay, I've got you," Victoria lied, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
The elevator shot upward, the digital numbers climbing rapidly to the fiftieth floor.
Victoria set Maya down gently and unzipped the ruined designer bag to see what was so incredibly important.
She bypassed her own expensive cosmetics and pulled out a bulky, taped-up manila envelope.
It was heavy, clearly stuffed with something metallic and solid.
"My mommy said you have to keep that safe," Maya whispered.
Victoria ripped the tape away, dumping the contents onto the pristine floor of the elevator.
A burner phone, a thick stack of foreign passports, and a heavily encrypted silver USB drive fell out.
Victoria's breath caught in her throat as she picked up the silver drive.
Engraved on the side of the metal casing was the logo of her late husband's private holding company.
He had died in a tragic plane crash three years ago.
Before Victoria could process this impossible connection, the burner phone on the floor lit up.
An unknown number flashed on the cracked digital screen.
Victoria slowly answered it, pressing the cheap device to her ear.
May you like
"You shouldn't have opened that bag, Victoria," a familiar, chilling male voice whispered.
"If you don't send the girl back down on that elevator, I will blow the penthouse to ashes."
