Chapter 4 - The Ghost in QueensThe rain had turned into a freezing drizzle by the time Grant's black bulletproof Maybach pulled up outside the run-down apartment building in Queens where Evelyn used to live. The streetlights flickered against the wet pavement.
Grant stepped out of the vehicle, ignoring the cold wind biting through his tailored charcoal coat. Marcus and four armed guards flanked him immediately, hands resting near their tactical holsters.
"The building is clear of standard tenants, Boss," Marcus reported, checking his tablet. "Landlord was paid off an hour ago. But our tech team says the terminal relay is active on the third floor—apartment 3B."
Grant walked up the concrete steps, each footstep echoing in the desolate stairwell. The paint was peeling; the walls smelled of damp concrete and old memories. This was where he had first found her three years ago, a terrified woman holding a lukewarm cup of hazelnut coffee.
Now, she had just cost him half a billion dollars in less than twenty minutes.
He reached apartment 3B. The wooden door was unlocked, pushed open an inch by the draft.
Grant raised his hand, signaling his men to hold position, and pushed the door open with his palm.
The apartment was pitch dark except for the harsh, blue glow of a single laptop screen sitting on a small kitchen table. A half-empty paper cup of hazelnut coffee sat beside it.
Evelyn wasn't there.
Grant stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning every corner. The room was sparse. A single mattress on the floor, a suitcase half-packed, and the laptop glowing brightly.
On the screen, a final progress bar hit 100%.
TRANSFER COMPLETE. ACCOUNT ZEROED.
Suddenly, the laptop speakers emitted a clear, synthetic beep, followed by an audio recording of Evelyn’s calm voice playing directly into the empty room:
"If you're listening to this, Grant, it means you finally figured out that money was the only thing you thought you had to offer. But you can't buy back what you destroyed."
Grant froze, staring at the screen.
Before he could process the trap, the red LED light on a small hardware device taped underneath the table blinked rapidly.
"Boss!" Marcus roared, diving through the doorway. "It's a decoy signal! Get out!"
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BOOM.
The muffled explosion tore through the lower floor of the building, shaking the foundation and plunging the apartment into darkness as emergency smoke filled the room.
