Chapter 1 - THE RECKONING IN THE DARKThe digital glow of Daniel’s laptop screen painted his face in a pale, sickening green as he stood in the doorway of his home office.
He didn't know that three hours earlier, while he slept, I had bypassed his administrator encryption, mirrored his hidden server to an off-site federal cloud archive, and traced every single bitcoin transaction back to his personal offshore bank account.
"You're up late," Daniel whispered again, his voice dripping with practiced, greasy affection as he stepped closer.
"Couldn't sleep," I replied, keeping my breathing even. I didn't flinch when his hand reached out to stroke my hair. Every instinct in my body screamed to drive my fist into his throat, but I forced my muscles to stay soft, fragile, and submissive.
"You've been through so much," Daniel murmured, pulling me into a gentle embrace. "Your mother's passing... your panic attacks. Just remember, Claire, I'm the only one who truly understands what you're going through. You can trust me."
I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady, deceitful thud of his heart.
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"I know, Daniel," I whispered into his shirt. "I trust you completely."
That was his second mistake. Believing my smile.
