Chapter 2 - The Poisoned Apple
I crushed the listening device under the heel of my Italian leather shoe.
The realization that I had invited a cartel spy into my home made me physically sick.
Patricia had played the role of the elegant, concerned girlfriend flawlessly.
She had manipulated me into isolating my daughters and nearly convinced me to fire the only person protecting them.
I pulled out my encrypted burner phone and called my head of security, Marcus.
I ordered him to quietly lock down the entire River Oaks estate without alarming the staff.
I instructed him to prepare my armored convoy because we were going to pay Patricia a surprise visit at her downtown penthouse.
Before I left, I returned to the living room to check on Avery and Sophie.
They were sitting on the expensive rug, laughing as Clara read them a story about a brave knight.
I promised my girls that I would be back before dinner.
I gave Clara a silent nod of gratitude, silently vowing to double her salary if we survived the week.
My convoy sped through the Houston traffic, arriving at Patricia's luxury high-rise in under twenty minutes.
Marcus and I bypassed the lobby security, rode the private elevator to the top floor, and kicked open her penthouse doors.
The massive apartment was completely empty and stripped of all personal belongings.
Patricia had clearly been warned about my sudden return to the mansion.
I walked over to the glass coffee table and noticed a single manila folder left deliberately in the center.
I opened the folder and felt the breath leave my lungs.
Inside were dozens of surveillance photos of Clara picking up my daughters from their private school.
Attached to the photos was a heavily funded assassination contract authorized by the Navarro cartel.
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My phone suddenly buzzed with an emergency alert from the mansion's perimeter defense system.
The alert stated that twelve armed men had just breached the south gates where my daughters were playing.
