Chapter 5 - The Mastermind's Cold Confession
"Victoria!" Ethan shouted, stepping in front of Scarlett and Ella. "Have you lost your mind? This is murder!"
"It’s called protecting my investment, darling," Victoria replied smoothly over the intercom. "Caldwell Industries is a multi-billion-dollar empire, but your little 'worker safety' initiatives were going to ruin our margins. I found a much more lucrative use for Sector 9. We've been shipping high-grade black-market pharmaceuticals through the medical supply crates."
Ethan’s eyes widened in realization. "That's why Scarlett was down here. She saw the shipments."
"Exactly," Victoria sneered. "Our dear, nosy Scarlett decided to do some late-night exploring and found my private inventory. I couldn't let her run to the board of directors, could I? So, I locked her in. It was supposed to look like an unfortunate, tragic accident on Christmas morning. A simple gas leak."
"You won't get away with this, Victoria. The police will find out. The board will know!" Ethan yelled, frantically searching the room for a tool, a pipe, anything to break the door.
"And who is going to tell them, Ethan? You?" Victoria laughed, a chilling, hollow sound. "By tomorrow morning, you, the worker, and her brat will all be victims of a tragic, localized chemical explosion. The stock price will dip, yes, but as your grieving fiancée, I will inherit your shares and take full control of Caldwell Industries. It’s a flawless Christmas present to myself."
On the floor, Scarlett grabbed Ethan’s sleeve. "The... the main valve," she gasped, pointing to a massive red wheel behind a cage of pipes. "If you... if you turn it off... it stops the gas flow to this sector. But... it has to be held down. If you let go... it springs back."
Ethan looked at the valve. It was located deep within a narrow gap between the steaming pipes—a gap too small for a grown man to reach without getting severely burned by the hot steam vents.
But it wasn't too small for someone else.
"I can do it," Ella said, her small face suddenly filled with a fierce determination.
"No! Ella, absolutely not! It's too dangerous!" Scarlett cried, trying to shield her daughter.
"Mommy, you always protect me," Ella said, tears streaming down her dirty cheeks. "Let me protect you this time."
Ethan looked at the steam vents. If they didn't shut the valve, they would all die of suffocation within five minutes. He stripped off his thick wool coat and wrapped it entirely around Ella, leaving only her small hands free.
May you like
"Listen to me, Ella," Ethan said, his voice trembling with emotion. "You are the bravest girl I have ever met. Crawl in, turn the wheel to the right, and do not let go until I tell you. Can you do that for us?"
Ella nodded bravely. "I can do it."
