Chapter 3 - The Firewall in Singapore
While the shipping lanes of the East Coast were beginning to clog, my focus shifted halfway across the world to a humid, high-tech office park in Singapore's Downtown Core.
I sat in our private secure communications room, waiting for Raymond’s report. The room was soundproofed, swept daily for electronic bugs, and connected directly to a private satellite network.
The monitor on the wall flickered, revealing Raymond’s rugged face. He was sitting in the back of a parked SUV, the bright, neon-lit skyline of Singapore visible through the tinted window behind him.
"Arthur," Raymond said, adjusting his earpiece. "We have a situation here. Your son-in-law, Daniel, is completely locked down."
"Explain," I demanded, leaning toward the camera.
"Charles didn't just send Daniel to Singapore for a routine business trip," Raymond explained, pulling up a series of data logs on his screen. "He put him in a gilded cage. Daniel’s corporate phone has a custom-built firewall installed by Whitmore’s IT department. Every call, text, and email from Emily’s number has been automatically diverted to a dummy inbox that replies with automated out-of-office messages. Daniel thinks Emily’s phone is disconnected or that she’s ignoring him."
"And what about his personal devices?"
"They confiscated his personal laptop at the airport under the guise of 'corporate security compliance' for international travel," Raymond said, his expression grim. "He’s been assigned a company-issued tablet that is monitored twenty-four hours a day. They’ve also planted a handler—a VP of Corporate Relations named Evelyn Vance—no relation to you—who accompanies him to every meeting and dinner. She’s been whispering in his ear that Emily has checked out of the marriage and refused to join him abroad."
A cold, deep fury washed over me. Charles wasn't just trying to protect his company; he was actively destroying his own son's life to preserve his twisted vision of an elite family dynasty.
"Where is Daniel right now?" I asked.
"He’s at a private VIP dinner at the Marina Bay Sands, hosting a group of regional port authorities," Raymond replied. "Evelyn is with him. They’re scheduled to return to his hotel in about two hours."
"Break him out, Raymond," I said, my voice dead and absolute. "I don't care about diplomatic protocol or corporate boundaries. Get Daniel away from his handler, put a secure phone in his hand, and let him speak to his wife."
"Understood, Arthur. We’ll make it clean."
The feed cut to black. I walked out of the communications room and found Emily sitting in the reception area, holding a cup of tea. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with an unspoken anxiety.
"He didn't abandon us, Emily," I said gently, sitting beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "His father built a digital wall around him. He has no idea you were fired, and he has no idea you and Lily were put on the street."
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Emily’s breath caught in her throat, a mix of relief and anger flushing her cheeks. "I knew it. I knew Daniel wouldn't just leave me to face his father alone. We’ve been together for eight years, Dad. He’s a good man, but he’s always been too blind to his father's true nature."
"He’s about to get a very loud wake-up call," I said. "Go rest, Emily. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."
