Chapter 1 - The First Toast of the Dead ManThe morning sun broke over the skyline of Seattle, casting a golden hue through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Carter Global penthouse. Outside, the city was waking up to a brand-new day. Inside, a chilling silence hung in the air.
I stood in front of the master bathroom mirror, adjusting my silk tie. My reflection showed a man of unwavering composure. No one would ever guess that beneath the tailored suit beat the heart of a man who had narrowly escaped a gruesome murder plot just hours prior.
"Mr. Carter," Rosa whispered, stepping quietly into the room. Her eyes were still red from the sheer terror of the night before, but she stood straighter now. She held a silver tray with my morning espresso. "Are you certain about this? We could call the police right now. We have the audio recording."
I took the cup from her, inhaling the rich aroma before taking a slow sip.
"The police, Rosa, operate on procedure," I said, my voice steady and cold. "If we hand them an audio file today, Adrian’s legal team—funded by half the corporate board he’s secretly bought out—would tie us up in injunctions for months. Isabella would play the grieving bride, and they would claim the recording was AI-generated."
Rosa swallowed hard. "Then what is your plan?"
"A trap," I replied, a faint smirk touching my lips. "A trap so airtight, so devastatingly public, that they won't just lose their freedom. They will lose everything they ever dreamed of stealing."
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Down the hall, the sound of movement drifted from the master bedroom. The heavy velvet sheets rustled. Isabella was waking up.
I handed the empty espresso cup back to Rosa, pulled a small, pristine handkerchief from my pocket, and walked out to greet my brand-new bride.
