CHAPTER 3 — THE MAN EVERYONE THOUGHT WAS DEAD
Marcus Mercer's jet crossed the Atlantic under complete radio silence.
No flight plan.
No transponder.
No permission.
Every air traffic controller who tried to identify the aircraft received the same encrypted response:
CLASSIFIED. DO NOT INTERCEPT.
Marcus sat alone in the cabin, staring at the live map of his mansion.
The blinking dot representing Lily suddenly stopped moving.
His heartbeat slowed.
"Viktor."
The old soldier answered instantly.
"We lost her signal."
Marcus looked at the screen.
"No."
"We lost the tracker."
"Someone found it."
Inside the secret tunnel, Lily had stumbled into a hidden wine cellar.
She wasn't alone.
An elderly groundskeeper named Samuel emerged from the shadows.
He had worked for Marcus for nearly twenty-five years.
"Lily," he whispered. "Come with me."
The little girl hesitated.
Marcus had warned her.
Trust no one.
Even familiar faces could lie.
Samuel noticed her fear.
Then he reached into his pocket and produced a faded photograph.
It showed Marcus, years younger, kneeling beside a frightened little girl on adoption day.
On the back, written in Marcus's handwriting:
"If Lily ever doubts you, tell her who gave me this picture."
Samuel smiled sadly.
"Your father cried that day."
"He thought no one saw."
Lily burst into tears and ran into his arms.
But before they could move another step—
A hidden steel door slammed shut behind them.
Gas hissed from the ceiling vents.
Samuel's eyes widened.
"No..."
Someone had anticipated the escape route.
Monitors flickered to life.
A face appeared on every screen.
Not Cassandra.
Not Richard Wells.
A gray-haired man wearing an immaculate suit smiled calmly.
"Good evening, Lily."
"My name is Adrian Black."
"You've never met me."
"But I've been planning this night for seven years."
Samuel's blood ran cold.
"Impossible..."
"You died."
Adrian laughed softly.
"So did Marcus."
"At least... that's what I wanted the world to believe."
Then he looked directly into the camera.
"Marcus."
"I know you're watching."
"You think Cassandra betrayed you."
"You think Richard stole your fortune."
"They're amateurs."
"I bought them."
"I built this entire betrayal."
"And tonight..."
"I'm finally taking back what you stole from me."
Marcus stood up so abruptly that the crystal glass in front of him shattered on the floor.
For the first time in years...
The billionaire everyone feared realized the nightmare wasn't about stolen money.
It had never been.
May you like
The true target...
Had always been Lily.
