Chapter 3 - FRAMED ON LIVE TELEVISION

“The Whole World Thinks I’m a Monster.”Lena peeked through the dusty Venetian blinds. The street was swarming with police vehicles—but these weren't standard NYPD cruisers. They were matte-black tactical SUVs bearing the insignia of Vance Global Security.

"They own the police," Lena realized, her stomach sinking.

She grabbed her backpack, shoved the laptop inside, and scooped Lily up. "Hold onto my neck, sweetie. Whatever happens, don't let go."

They burst through the back emergency door into a narrow, trash-filled alleyway. Searchlights crisscrossed the night sky. On a massive LED billboard looming over the avenue high above, Lena’s own face flashed across the screen under bold red letters:

CRITICAL BREAKING NEWS: DANGEROUS KIDNAPPER AT LARGE

REWARD: $1,000,000 FOR THE CAPTURE OF LENA MILLER.

"A million dollars..." Lena breathed. Every pedestrian on the street was looking around, pulling out their phones, hungry for the payout.

Desperate, Lena made a call from a prepaid burner phone she found in the basement hideout. She dialed the only man who used to have her back—Detective David Ross, her former brother-in-law's trusted friend.

"David! It’s Lena. You have to help me, they’re framing me!" she cried into the receiver.

"Lena? Where are you? The whole precinct is looking for you! They say you snapped!" David’s voice was frantic.

"I didn't snap! Marcus Vance killed Clara! He's after Lily!"

There was a long silence on the line.

"Meet me at Pier 42 in twenty minutes," David whispered tightly. "Come alone. I’ll get you both out of the city."

Twenty minutes later, rain began to pour over the dark fog of Pier 42. Lena hid behind a stack of rusted shipping containers, holding Lily tight. A shadowy figure approached through the mist—David, wearing his long detective coat.

"Lena! Over here!" David called out.

Lena stepped forward, relief washing over her. "Thank God, David—"

"Stop!" Lily suddenly screamed, pulling on Lena's arm.

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Lena froze. "Lily, what's wrong? It's David!"

Lily shrank back in terror, pointing a trembling finger at David’s coat. "He... he smells like expensive cigars and peppermint. That's the same smell as the man in the SUV!"