Chapter 4 - Midnight VisitorsBefore Arthur could process the explosive implications of the video, a sharp, metallic sound cut through the quiet hum of the house.
Click.
It was the front door latch disengaging.
Arthur froze, his eyes darting to the hallway security monitor on his desk. The screen flickered, cycling through the perimeter cameras. Walking up the front porch steps were two towering men in black tactical jackets, their faces partially obscured by dark caps. One of them held a heavy-duty master keycard that bypassed the smart-lock encryption with terrifying ease.
How did they get the bypass code? Arthur realized instantly: Victoria. She hadn't just left to pout; she had dispatched professional recovery agents to clean out the house—and silence any potential witnesses.
Arthur didn't panic. Adrenaline surged through his veins, sharpening every sense. He ripped the USB drive from the terminal, shoved the documents back into the lockbox, and locked it. He sprinted out of the office, moving with silent precision down the hallway toward Maya and Leo’s room.
He threw the door open. Both children woke instantly, bolting upright with wide, frightened eyes.
"Uncle Arthur? What's happening?" Maya whispered, clutching her little brother.
"Get up, put your shoes on right now, and don't make a single sound," Arthur ordered in a fierce, controlled whisper. "We're leaving. Through the back window."
"Are the bad guys here?" Leo whimpered, his lower lip trembling.
"I won't let anyone touch you," Arthur promised, his voice carrying an unshakeable iron resolve.
He helped them slip out through the bedroom window into the backyard garden just as heavy footsteps echoed down the main hallway inside. Glass shattered in the kitchen—someone had forced the rear patio door.
May you like
As Arthur crouched in the dew-soaked grass, guiding the children toward the detached garage, he glanced back at the house. Through the kitchen window, he saw a flashlight beam sweeping across the walls.
They're looking for the lockbox, he thought. And they won't stop until they find it.
