Chapter 3 - The Locked Door
Adrian sat in the back of his armored sedan, staring at the silver key.
The rain had begun to fall, washing away the afternoon sun and turning the cobblestones slick and dark.
His right-hand man, Victor, sat in the driver's seat, watching Adrian through the rearview mirror.
“Do we breach the house, Boss?” Victor asked quietly.
Adrian shook his head without looking up.
“Not yet,” Adrian replied. “Bring me the decryption tablet.”
Victor handed a heavy, military-grade tablet over the center console.
Adrian slid the silver key into the hidden port at the bottom of the device.
The screen flickered black, then flooded with lines of green code.
This was Adrian’s personal encryption software, something only he and his closest lieutenants knew how to build.
There was no way a child found this by accident.
The screen cleared, revealing a single video file dated from exactly twenty-four hours ago.
Adrian pressed play.
Claire’s face appeared on the screen, illuminated by the harsh light of a computer monitor.
She did not look terrified or confused like she had in the hallway.
Her eyes were sharp, calculating, and completely lucid.
“Adrian,” the digital recording of Claire whispered.
“If you are seeing this, it means my little messenger found you.”
Adrian gripped the edges of the tablet so hard the metal groaned.
“I don’t have amnesia, and David is not my husband,” she continued, glancing nervously over her shoulder.
“He is holding me hostage, forcing me to build a financial back door into your syndicate.”
She leaned closer to the camera, tears welling in her eyes.
“He plans to drain your offshore accounts tonight and kill Emma and me by morning.”
The screen abruptly went black.
Adrian tossed the tablet aside and kicked open the heavy car door.
“Victor, gather the men and quietly surround the perimeter,” Adrian commanded, drawing his own weapon.
He moved silently through the pouring rain, slipping over the back fence of the ivy-covered house.
He picked the lock on the kitchen door in seconds and stepped into the dark hallway.
He moved toward the stairs, ready to execute David Vance without hesitation.
Suddenly, his boot stepped on something soft and wet.
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Adrian looked down, pulling a small flashlight from his belt.
The beam of light illuminated a massive pool of fresh blood seeping out from beneath the forbidden locked door.
