Chapter 15 - The Trap is Set
The realization that a far more dangerous predator was hunting us changed everything. Victor Thorne wasn’t a desperate gambler like Julian or a bitter conspirator like Eleanor—he was a calculating, ruthless corporate raider who viewed human lives as collateral damage.
Two days after Marcus revealed Victor’s identity, the threats escalated from shadows to direct confrontation.
I was at the community health center downtown, reviewing patient files in my office, when the overhead lights suddenly went dead. The emergency backup generators failed to kick in. Total, pitch-black darkness enveloped the building.
My phone buzzed on the desk. An incoming video call from an unknown, encrypted VoIP number.
With trembling fingers, I slid the screen to answer.
The screen flickered to life, illuminating a dimly lit room. Tied securely to a metal chair in the center of the frame was David, a heavy cloth gag tied across his mouth, blood trickling down his temple. Standing directly behind him, resting a heavy hunting knife casually against David’s shoulder, was a tall man in an expensive tailored suit.
He looked directly into the camera lens. A cold, sardonic smile curved across his lips.
“Hello, little sister-in-law,” Victor Thorne’s voice purred through the speaker, smooth as silk yet laced with lethal venom. “I must admit, you’ve been a remarkably stubborn weed in our family garden. You locked up Eleanor, you exposed Julian, and you even managed to keep my brother David on a tight leash.”
“Victor,” I choked out, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Let him go. This is between you and the estate.”
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“Oh, it’s not about the estate anymore, Nora,” Victor laughed softly, pressing the blade slightly closer to David’s neck, eliciting a muffled groan from him. “This is about family honor. You destroyed my mother’s legacy, and now, you’re going to pay the ultimate price. I’m sending you an address. Come alone. No police. No Marcus. If you’re even one minute late, David’s throat gets opened, and then… well, little Chloe is next on my list.”
The screen went black.
