Chapter 5 - The Trap is SprungBefore Isabella could pocket the photographs, a heavy boot creaked on the wooden floorboards behind her.
"I knew you'd come sniffing around, little street rat," a raspy, venomous voice echoed from the shadows.
Isabella spun around, her fists raised, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.
Stepping out from behind a stack of rusted steel barrels was a tall man with a scarred face, wearing a worn trench coat. It wasn't Victor Thorne himself, but one of his most loyal enforcers—a man the police reports had identified as Silas Kane.
"Silas," Isabella said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline roaring in her ears. "Victor is a coward hiding behind envelopes. If he wants me, tell him where to find me."
Silas let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Oh, he knows where to find you, Isabella. But Victor doesn't just want you. He wants to destroy everything Marcus and Evelyn hold dear. And he's already made his first move."
Isabella’s blood ran cold. "What did you do?"
"Check your phone, little hero," Silas grinned maliciously.
Isabella pulled her smartphone from her pocket. The screen lit up with an incoming video call from Marcus Vance.
May you like
With shaking fingers, she answered. The screen showed the interior of the Vance family living room—empty, silent, and torn apart. The cribs and beds were empty.
Marcus's voice came through the speaker, frantic and terrified: "Isabella... they're gone. The kids... Victor took them."
