flash
The heavy magnetic locks engaged with a series of sharp, metallic thuds that echoed through the marble lobby of Graves Tower. The giant glass revolving doors froze mid-spin, trapping two executives in expensive suits half-in and half-out. A silent crimson light flickered along the frame of the entrance, signaling an absolute security lockdown. / Chapter 5 / 10

Chapter 5 - The Snake in the Tower

"Clara," Nathaniel said coldly, slowly rising to his feet, keeping his body positioned between Clara's gun and where I stood terrified against the doorframe. "I hired you from the gutter. I gave you a million-dollar salary and an executive position."

"You gave me scraps, Nathaniel," Clara sneered, her revolver aimed precisely at Nathaniel’s heart. "You sat on top of Graves Energy like a king on a throne, pretending to be a saint while hoarding trillions in clean-energy patents. Do you have any idea how much the Syndicate paid me just to keep an eye on your personal account log?"

"You tipped off Knox," I said, my voice shaking with rage. "You saw the eviction notice."

Clara glanced at me with a smirk. "Smart little brat. The moment I saw Sarah Vance’s name on that real estate seizure list, I knew the missing heiress had finally popped up. Graves Energy isn't yours, Nathaniel. According to the original charter signed by Victor Vance, if no biological heir claims the throne by the founder’s grandchild's twelfth birthday, the entire company board splits the assets."

She checked her diamond-encrusted wristwatch.

"And guess what? Little Ruby turns twelve at midnight tonight. Once she's out of the picture, Knox and I control forty-one percent of the nation's power grid."

"She is just a child!" Sarah screamed, thrashing against her plastic restraints. "Take the money! Take the company! Just let my daughter go!"

"I’m afraid corporate policy doesn't allow loose ends, Mrs. Vance," Clara replied coldly. She raised the gun, aiming it straight at my forehead. "Starting with the girl."

"NO!"

Nathaniel lunged forward.

BANG!

The suppressed gunshot sounded like a heavy cough in the small apartment.

Nathaniel crashed into Clara, tackling her through the hollow wooden door and into the hallway. The gun skidded across the floor, spinning right to my feet.

"Ruby! Get the keys from my pocket! Free your mother!" Nathaniel roared as he struggled with Clara in the hallway.

I didn't hesitate. I dropped to my knees, reached into Nathaniel’s discarded suit jacket on the floor, and pulled out a small tactical knife. I sprinted to my mother and slashed through the plastic ties binding her wrists.

"Mom!" I cried, hugging her tight.

"Ruby, my sweet girl," Sarah sobbed, pulling me close before pulling back to inspect my face. "Are you hurt? Did they touch you?"

"I'm okay, Mom! But Mr. Graves—Nathaniel—he came to help us!"

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The burner phone in my hand felt heavy, like a slab of cold iron pulled from a sunken ship. Across the line, Marcus let out a breath that sounded like a low whistle escaping a pressure valve. Nineteen years of rust, nineteen years of school plays, quiet dinners, and ledger sheets—all of it dissolved in the space of a single heartbeat.

The burner phone in my hand felt heavy, like a slab of cold iron pulled...

The man in the back of the Bentley was not a stranger, though it took me three agonizing seconds to place the face behind the silver-trimmed beard. Arthur Vance. The reclusive billionaire shipping tycoon, corporate sniper, and my father’s oldest, most estranged rival.

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The ink on the medical schedule wasn't standard printer black. It was darker, heavier, pressed down with the kind of deliberate malice that only a fountain pen could deliver. I stared at the signature at the bottom of the page, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

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Before my mother could answer, a heavy thud echoed from the hallway, followed by the terrifying sound of multiple heavy footsteps rushing up the fire escape.

Knox’s voice boomed down the corridor: "Clear the floor! Kill everyone inside!"

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