Chapter 2 - The Mafia Boss and the Maid
Kate stepped out of the linen room, her face pale, her right arm pinned stiffly to her side. She looked up at Viktor Vance, expecting him to dismiss her or hand her over to the Caldwell family's security team.
Instead, Vance’s dark eyes locked onto her fractured arm, then drifted to the dark crimson stain on her white sleeve.
"Who did this?" Vance asked quietly.
"Nobody," Kate whispered.
"Do not insult my intelligence," Vance replied, walking closer. "I own this estate. I know every sound this house makes. That was a radius fracture, accompanied by a struggle. Was it Preston?"
Kate nodded once.
Vance didn't flinch. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a pristine white silk handkerchief, and handed it to her left hand. "Why didn't you scream?"
"Because shouting doesn't stop men with last names like Caldwell," Kate said, her voice steadying despite the agony in her arm. "And because I have digital backups of the library security feed in my pocket. Preston thought he deleted the local console. He didn't know the cloud mirror routes through my personal storage."
A faint, dangerous smile touched the corner of Vance’s mouth. For months, Senator Caldwell had been trying to push Vance’s shipping terminals out of the municipal harbor through corrupt zoning laws and federal investigations. The Caldwell family thought they were untouchable. They didn't realize that Vance had been looking for a vulnerability.
"Show me," Vance said.
Kate unlocked her phone and handed it to him. On the screen played a crystal-clear, high-definition loop of Preston cornering her by the mahogany bookshelf, the flash of violence, and the cold, mocking laughter that followed.
May you like
Vance watched it twice. His expression didn't change, but the air around him dropped ten degrees.
"By sunrise," Vance murmured, handing the phone back, "fifteen powerful men in this city are going to realize they backed the wrong horse. Come with me."
