The heavy steel security shutters slammed down with a deafening hydraulic hiss, sealing the grand lobby of Graves Tower off from the bustling city outside. Panic rippled through the sea of impeccably dressed employees. Whispers buzzed like angry hornets against the polished marble walls.

The elevator ride down to the sub-basement felt like a descent into the underworld. Marcus kept a tight grip on my shoulder, the suppression pistol pressed casually against my ribs. The digital screen dropped past the lobby, past the parking garage, all the way down to B-4: INDUSTRIAL INCINERATOR & VAULT ARCHIVES.

When the doors slid open, a wave of dry, blistering heat washed over us.

The sub-basement was a vast, cavernous industrial floor filled with massive steel pipes, humming generators, and, at the far end, a towering industrial furnace with a glowing orange observation window that roared like a caged dragon.

Standing in front of the furnace was Victoria Vance. Her designer suit was dusty, her hair slightly out of place, but her eyes burned with psychotic triumph.

Next to her, bound to a heavy metal chair with thick plastic zip-ties, was Nathaniel Graves. His head hung low, a dark bruise blooming across his temple where he'd obviously been struck.

"Well, well, well," Victoria purred, stepping forward as Marcus shoved me toward her. She snatched the manila folder from Marcus's hand, her manicured nails tearing hungrily at the cover. "Project Phenix files intact. Zero digital backups remaining on the server. We won, Marcus."

Nathaniel slowly lifted his head. His eyes, bloodshot and furious, locked onto mine, then shifted to Victoria.

"You insane bitch," Nathaniel rasped, his voice raw. "You killed my son. You tried to kill my granddaughter. And now you think you can walk away with Graves Energy?"

"I don't think, Nathaniel. I know," Victoria smiled coldly, tossing the folder into the open hopper of the roaring incinerator. The flames instantly devoured the paper, turning the medical reports and financial ledgers to ash in a heartbeat. "The board already voted on your emergency incapacitation ten minutes ago. With you out of the picture, and these files gone, the trust defaults entirely to the legal division. I own everything."

She turned her gaze toward me, her smile twisting into something feral.

"And as for the little rat who ruined everything by bringing my forged eviction notice back to the tower... accidents happen on construction sites every day. A tragic fall into the incinerator."

My blood ran cold. I tried to back away, but Marcus grabbed me by the collar, lifting me off my feet as he dragged me toward the gaping maw of the furnace. The heat was suffocating, scorching my skin and singing my eyelashes.

"Let her go!" Nathaniel roared, straining against the zip-ties with supernatural strength, the metal legs of his chair scraping violently against the concrete. "Victoria, I swear to God, if you touch her, I will spend every last penny to hunt you to the ends of the earth!"

"You won't be hunting anyone, Nathaniel," Victoria said calmly, checking her watch. "In thirty seconds, this entire sub-basement sector will trigger a methane gas purge. By the time emergency crews dig through the rubble, you'll both be nothing more than carbon dust."

Marcus raised me over the edge of the incinerator opening. The roaring flames below danced like hungry demons.